3 Epic Fails in my Consistency Journey, and how they've changed (and upped) my Game

'Like a wet fart', she said

And I literally laughed out loud. 

Never was a more disgusting metaphor so appropriately used in a serious and 'oh so grown-up' feedback form. 

See... When I asked women in business what their biggest challenges were, one of the most popular responses that came back to me, was how hard it was to be consistent on the things they wanted to do. 

They knew what was needed. And would often make a start, a good one too... 

But then life would get in the way. 

And instead of going down in a blaze of glory with us wrestling and fighting with all our might, and us 'Raging and raging against the dying of the light

They'd fizzle out, like a wet fart trying to sneak out unnoticed in a super important and professional meeting (I'm speaking from imagination here, not experience) 

But it's each of these pains and challenges that these incredible women outline that have formed the basis for my Monthly 'The Art and Science' Masterclasses... 

And so it's time to tackle the issues of getting consistency working in your favour. 

And so for today's #SaturdayServing (on a Sunday), I'm going to outline 3 of the 7 of the biggest fails that I've had in my own journey to Master consistency, and give you some insight into why you might want to join this Masterclass even if you feel it's working well for you (and especially if it's not working as you want in all areas)

Fail No. 1 - I did not Respect Small Beginnings

When I made the decision to start losing weight, it was a day full of tough emotions. 

I had just had my 3rd child and the last thing I wanted to do was have to think about inconveniencing myself with thoughts of food and exercise. 

But I also knew that I needed to lose a Kardashian in weight (probably Kourtney), and that wasn't going to happen by accident. 

See I'd been incredible at putting on weight by accident, but it had never once in my life done the same in reverse. 

The thought of the task before me made me want to comfort eat and mooch and I had no time for either. 

But I'd ordered all these things that were not coming for days, and yet the urgency was burning in my chest and I knew I had to do something. 

So I did... 

The tiniest thing in the world. 

I made the commitment to jump on the scales each day. 

The first day I did... I cried. 

The next day I did, 800g had disappeared. By the end of that week, 3.2kg had gone and I was 18kg lighter 12 weeks in. 

I wanted the perfect start. Expertly balanced meals. A perfect exercise plan. 

I was committed Goddammit and I was gonna get it all done with the biggest bang ever. 

But it's never the big start that keeps you going... 

Or even gets you going. 

The small act of stepping on those scales changed the game for me. 

Weight was no longer something that I was leaving to change or using the 'Hope and Pray' strategy to fix. 

It was something that I was putting in front of my face

Something I was committed to getting to understand

Something small that I could achieve everyday. 

It didn't seem like much

But it changed everything. 

I thought that I needed the right everything to get started because I didn't understand the power of beginning small. 

I stepped on the scale each day until the habit no longer served me (which was over 2 years) 

And it lead me to explore food, movement, and all the things that led to me losing over 100lbs and keep it off over the last few years. 

Because I started small, and achievable .

I didn't promise to go to the gym 5 times a week (I actually haven't set foot in a gym the entire time, but that's a different story) 

I merely chose something small and achievable that became the launchpad for so many other intentions and changes. 

But if I'd been paying attention, and been looking at nature, I would have seen the signs

Nothing in this world starts out big. 

Flowers start as tiny seeds

Oak trees start as acorns 

Humans start as a tiny little sperm and an egg that the naked eye can't see

Small starts are how nature does it and gives the best chance to get going to remain consistent. And every time I've sustained something, I've started small too.

Fail No. 2 - I sprinkled perfectionism all over it

Consistency can be a really slippery slope for a perfectionista

Seeing those chains get longer and longer does something really interesting with our brains, and can have a very much vice like effect.

So instead of being liberated by the regularity that we find by focusing on our consistent habits, they begin to feel like tests that we are constantly in danger of failing.

So when I started this little #SaturdayServing project... I came up with the hashtag on the fly - but you can see the articles have come out less and less on a Saturday. At first it used to bug me, and I'd worry that I'd be painting myself to be a liar, for not getting them out on a Saturday as I'd originally planned.

But what I was able to do was to clarify the intention of the PURPOSE of the habit.

Which was to send out a weekly article. On an area or topic that would be helpful to people in my network. No matter what day it was. I'd already chosen the hashtag, so I stick to the weekends, but that's about it. And having an unbroken streak of over 60 articles is far more powerful and helpful than obsessing as to whether they get out before the clock strikes Sunday.

This is why understanding the purpose of your ventures or habits is so important, because it will help to decentre and refocus you when the habit takes on a life of it's own. Being clear on what you're about helps take the edge off and keeps things powerful, achievable, and stops you giving up when you don't meet the obsessively narrow restrictions you set for yourself unnecessarily.

Done will always be better than perfect!

Fail 3: I kept relying on the end goal to motivate me

This one was the biggest fail of all....

Having that end goal picture in mind is NOT the best way to get up and do the needful, especially when you don't feel like it.

Sometimes it will work. The idea of my perfect body may get me out doing runs in the snow - but not always.

And that's the thing.

They say that "when your why is bigger than your why not, that you'll do what's necessary" - but that's not actually the case. Because your why can be as big as it likes. If it cannot compete in the here and now -it's irrelevant.

I've spent a lot of time checking in on my whys and ensuring that they're sufficiently big and powerful. And yet... NOTHING in the future tasted as good as Haribo Fantasyland in the moment (if you know, you know). NOTHING.

The only thing that could stop me, was the fact that I am a woman of my word, and I said that I would not. That's it.

Not my perfect body in the future. Not the calories burned from my epic workout I just had, not the streak of however many days that had gone before...

But the decision of the kind of person I said I wanted to be and the vote for the kind of person that I'm becoming... and what that person would do in THIS moment.

Focusing on the end goal is a common mistake that actually leaves you without the motivation you need to keep going and focusing on strength in the moment is so much more powerful.

That's 3 out of 7

These are 3 of the 7 fails that we often get wrong when it comes to developing and mastering consistency that I'll be sharing in the upcoming 'The Art and Science of Being Consistent' Masterclass. The powerful offer provides all ticket providers with:

• The ticket to the live Masterclass full of content, exercises and then live Q&A
• Access to the replay of the class (which increases implementation support probability to 60%)
• An incredible attendance bonus resource
• A special offer on an incredible brand new resource to support getting consistency to work better for you after the session (top secret)

And those currently booking can take up one of a few remaining bonus 1 to 1 slots with me added to the offer.

Consistency isn't what we think it is, and it also doesn't work in the way we think it does... but having navigated these, and many more fails in this space, I've been able to get it to work for me. And I'd love to help you to get it to work for you too. Drop me a 'Yes please' in the comments or my DMs and I'd be happy to share pricing and information.