Consistency: The Most Important Force in Life
The Beatles sang in 1967, “All you need is love” but what they really meant to say was “All you need is love, consistently”. That doesn’t sound so great in a song, does it?
Consistency may be the most important force in the world. No, the universe. Even some of the most catastrophic events that have ever happened have been overcome by consistency.
The Chicxulub asteroid which hit the Earth 66 million years ago was devastating when it hit, causing the extinction of 75% of life as it was moments before impact. But look at us now! Consistency of terrestrial and extraterrestrial patterns repeated for millions of years have resulted in the flourishing world we see today. Yes, there were and are still some destructive patterns occurring in the world but let’s not get sidetracked.
If all we need is love, but only receive it once in a while or just once, would we feel loved? If we received love consistently, how would we feel then?
Consistency administered in any action or behavior will inevitably result in success. Apply it to exercise, diet, work, learning, relationships. You name it; that behavior will improve and continue to improve over time.
Consistency must be administered though by using some fundamental principles proven to achieve progress, success, and fulfillment.
If you want to form a new behavior, improve anything in your life, or be successful, continue reading about some simple principles that have been proven to work by smart people (like psychologists)!
They are: Desire, Intent, Habit, Commitment, Consistency, Do.
Principle #1: Desire (ooh la la!)
No, not that desire. I’m talking action-based desires. No, not that kind of action.
To desire is to want and every action begins with desire because it is the foundation of success. You must want the intended action or behavior or anything done without it will ultimately fail. Well, unless you’re a robot. We are human, after all, and we need to feel just as much as we need to act. Remember what The Beatles said.
What is it exactly that you desire? Don’t just say, “lose weight,” “exercise more,” “be smart.”? These are wishes. Take those wishes, a penny and head to your nearest public fountain. A desire should be a specific, attainable, and satisfying “want.” You must want it and it should result in personal fulfillment. Say instead, “I desire to lose twenty-five pounds by summer vacation in order to hike Mt. Elbert because I want to prove I can do something incredible.”
Desired. Check. Let’s do this.
Principle #2: Intent
Now you will begin to set intentions. Er, don’t you mean goals? When do we get to goals?!
Leave goals to the corporate world and your annual performance review because setting goals alone doesn’t necessarily produce results. Think about how many of those work goals last year were actually completed. Why?
We need to understand something called ‘implementation intention.’
A goal is just an idea of a future result, the aim or objective. It is nothing though without desire and even more nothing without intent. Wikipedia states that “intention” is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Intentions are responsible for initiating, sustaining, and terminating actions. (Ref: Wikipedia | Intentions)
Notice where we keep coming back to: emotions. We are human, after all.
In 1999 Peter Gollwitzer described implementation intention in the context of goals as “the predeciding of when, where and how of reaching a goal.” (Ref: Gollwitzer 1999). It can be further simplified with an if-then plan. I propose that if one desires (wants) to learn a new language, the if-then plan (or the intention) is, “If I eat breakfast, I will spend ten minutes reading news articles in a different language.” Or “If I go for a walk, I will listen to a podcast about language learning.” Implementation intention as a mental state implies contextual or situational cues and behavioral responses.
So when it comes to any desired outcome, goal, or new behavior, you must be intentional. Think about the situations (places, times, activities) in which you will become intentional in your pursuits.
Set your intentions.?
Principle #3: Habit
Habits are the result of automatic responses from established cues. That sounds confusing. Let me clarify.
Automatic responses are the result of reaching your asymptote of automaticity. Asymptote-says-what? What? That also sounds confusing. Let me clarify.
It is absolutely essential to establish personal cues to initiate a desired behavior, then repeat it over and over until it becomes a habit in which you even forget the desired behavior is a choice. It becomes inherent to daily life.
Better?
In 2009 two psychologists, Wendy Wood and David Neal, defined habit as a phenomenon whereby behavior is prompted automatically by situational cues, as a result of learned cue-behavior associations (Ref: Wood and Neal 2009).
Wikipedia states that “Automaticity?is the ability to do things without occupying the mind with the low-level details required, allowing it to become an automatic response pattern or habit. It is usually the result of learning, repetition, and practice.” (Ref: Wikipedia | Automaticity)
An asymptote is a mathematical term referring to a curved line becoming closer and closer to a straight line but never actually intersecting it through infinity. Translating to psychology, the asymptote of a behavior means that repeating the behavior for infinity becomes nearly perfectly automatic but never completely automatic. It’s as close to automatic as humanly possible. We’re human, after all.
These two terms merge into the Asymptote of Automaticity since automaticity is never quite perfect. In 2009 Lally, Jaarsveld, Potts and Wardle discovered it normally takes about 66 days to reach a plateau ?(a.k.a. Asymptote) in which a person will perform an action automatically (i.e. forming a habit) in response to a cue (e.g. taking a walk after breakfast). For some in her study it took as long as 254 days though! (Ref: Lally, te al 2009). Habit formation can vary but repetition is key!
Another very surprising study performed by Neal, Wood, Labrecque and Lally in 2011 found that people are more influenced by their habits than their goals. (Ref: Neal, et al 2011)
Think of it like this, “I desire to lose twenty-five pounds…I intend to exercise one hour per day every day before I start getting ready for work. I will create a habit during the next three months by setting my alarm clock sixty minutes earlier Monday-Friday. When that alarm goes off, I will wake up and exercise for forty-five minutes and cool-down for fifteen minutes. The alarm clock will be my cue.”
Principle #4: Commitment
Vocabulary.com states that “Commitment” is the act of binding oneself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action. (Ref:? vocabulary.com | Commitment)
That word can be very scary to some. When you’re committed to something, there’s no going back. If it’s marriage, or having children, or even engaging in war, commitment is a critical mindset. But commitment in any desired behavior is also just as critical.
Gamophobia is actually the word used for fear of commitment, mostly referring to relationships but it’s also manifested in new behaviors or activities.
Why do we fear commitment, you ask? It’s purely psychological. We fear uncertainty but we also fear certainty, and commitment is certainly certainty. Commitment locks us into a defined plan and inherently reduces some freedoms. But you need not fear. We started this journey with desire. You’re embarking on something you really want to do, remember?! This isn’t just another goal-setting article!
If you still need to overcome gamophobia, focus on the following key steps:
Principle #5: Consistency
Merriam Webster dictionary states that a “consistent” behavior is marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity free from variation or contradiction. (Ref: Merriam Webster | Consistent)
It really is the most important force in your life. In case you’re not sold, let’s consider some alternate strategies for success and compare consistency to them.
Several leading sources of success attribute success to traits like the following:
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Notice anything missing above? Most people don’t think of consistency attributing to success. Actually if you google consistency and success, you’ll struggle to find much material. It may be because it’s not catchy or powerful. Consistency is the grind no one wants to talk about. If you look carefully, most of the words above are vague or esoteric. Consistency is simple and straightforward. Let’s take optimism for example. Please explain to me how being optimistic is going to accomplish anything! Analytical prowess? Oh, come on! Sensitive to others? I don’t think so. I will give some credit to Forbes. It seems to be the most realistic, but not quite.
Moving on…I did find some great quotes which I’ll share with you now.
Tom Brady, who many sports experts say is the GOAT, said the following during his Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2024, “To be successful at anything, the truth is you don't have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren't:?consistent, determined, and willing to work for it. No shortcuts.”
Tony Robbins, the self-help master of all time said, “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It's what we do consistently.”
Veronica Joce wrote, “Consistency is the bridge between setting intentions and achieving them. It's about making small, regular efforts toward your goals, day in and day out. This process of consistent action is what turns our intentions into reality. (Ref: Joce 2024).?
Maybe I’m on to something here.
Let’s use water as analogy to success. Water may be the most successful substance known to man. Just like waves of the Pacific Ocean slowly relocating homes in Malibu, or the Colorado River running through the Grand Canyon or water finding the smallest possible point to leak in a pipe in the most difficult place in your house to repair, it is a virtually unstoppable force of nature. Water is so successful because it is unwaveringly consistent. If you allow water to do its thing long enough, it will succeed. It will bore through rock for crying out loud! Be like water. Water never takes the day off, it never prioritizes another task, it never decides to sleep in just on the weekends. Consistent. Consistent. Consistent. Again. Consistent.
So now that I’ve given you something to think about, some principles to live by, maybe a renewed hope for developing that new behavior; now what?
Principle #6: Do
Congratulations, you’re already doing it. By reading this article and being curious, you’ve begun to do it.
Doing cannot be overstated. Far too many people stop short of doing, waiting for the perfect time (secret tip: there is never a perfect time).
General George S. Patton said it best in his 1947 book “War As I Knew It.” “A good plan violently executed Now is better than a perfect plan next week.” (Patton 1947).
When you finish this article, set a thirty-minute appointment with yourself, somewhere quiet where you can focus.
Think about what you desire and write it down. Why do you desire it?
Spell out your intentions. When/if-then.
Create a habit with a specific start/end date (secret tip: there really is no end date) but let’s use 66 days for now. Set your cues. I’ve written about calendars in the past (see links below) and highly recommend setting time in your daily calendar which will not be overridden or ignored. Set reminders, however you need them. Apple has an app called “Reminders.” The various app stores will have countless other similar apps. Keep it simple by just using sticky notes where you can’t ignore them like, for example the fridge handle or eye level on your mirror. Anything that will remind you is sufficient. Remember, timing is everything. You know you can’t learn to play the guitar at 2pm on a workday. You’re working, duh. Be mindful of opportune times which will facilitate the habit process.
Make a personal commitment to the habit. Think of a milestone in the future to which you can commit, not a day longer.
Finally consistency can be easily (yes easily) achieved with something Jerry Seinfeld called “don’t break the chain.” According to LifeHacker.com, Jerry told Brad Isaac in 2007 that you should make the biggest calendar you can and attach it to a prominent wall. Then using a magic marker, begin to draw red x’s every day. Eventually you have too many x’s to stop, or else suffer from an unsightly blank space. One app I use somewhat consistently is Duolingo. They’ve mastered the consistency trick with streaks. They want you to succeed and they constantly send you reminders, cues, warnings about continuing your language journey and your streak. Unfortunately it’s not as good as Jerry’s method but it’s good.
Conclusions
I spent a lot of time researching this and I hope you’ve found something useful. I enjoy helping others and if you’ve been helped, please share in the comments or send me a note. We all need positive feedback to stay motivated and to continue our passions. FYI, I have a personal commitment to write one self-help article every three months. I struggle with consistency too but I’m trying to improve like everyone else.
So now let’s end where we started. Next time you hear “All you need is love,” remember it’s all about consistency. Now go love somebody. We’re human, after all.
Rodney J. Tate
Rodney Tate’s other articles:
References
Barker, Eric. “Keys to Success: 6 Traits the Most Successful People Have in Common”. Time.com. https://time.com/99707/keys-to-success-6-traits-the-most-successful-people-have-in-common/. 2 Sept 2024.
"Commitment."?Vocabulary.com Dictionary,?Vocabulary.com, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/commitment. Accessed 02 Sep. 2024.?
“Consistent.”?Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consistent. Accessed 2 Sep. 2024.
Gleason, Brent. “10 Traits of Highly Successful People”. Forbes.com. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2023/12/11/10-traits-of-highly-successful-people. 2 Sep. 2024.
Gollwitzer, Peter M. “Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans” American Psychologist (July 1999) pg. 493-503.
Joyce, Veronica. “Consistent Intentions: Blueprint for Change”. IntelligentChange.com. 2024. https://www.intelligentchange.com/blogs/read/the-power-of-intentions-and-consistency-for-transformation#:~:text=Consistency%20is%20the%20bridge%20between,turns%20our%20intentions%20into%20reality. 2 Sept 2024.
Knight, Rebecca. “8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders”. Harvard Business Review.? https://hbr.org/2023/12/8-essential-qualities-of-successful-leaders. 2 Sept 2024.
Lally, Phillippa; van Jaarsveld, Cornelia H. M.; Potts, Henry W. W.; Wardle, Jane (2009). "How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world". European Journal of Social Psychology. 40 (6). Wiley: 998–1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674.
Neal, David T.; Wood, Wendy; Labrecque, Jennifer S.; Lally, Phillippa (2011). “How do habits guide behavior? Perceived and actual triggers of habits in daily life”. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 48 (2012). 492-498. Doi: 10.10.1016/j.esp.2011.10.011.
Robbin’s, Tony. “The 19 Best Tony Robbins Time Management Quotes.” TonyRobbins.com. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/tony-robbins-quotes/time-management-quotes. 2 Sept 2024.
Sykes, Timothy. “5 Traits of Successful People”. Entrepreneur.com. https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/5-traits-of-successful-people/315161. 2 Sept 2024.
The Beatles. “All you need is love.” Capitol Records. 1967.
“The Six Essential Characteristics of Successful People”. American Management Association. https://www.amanet.org/articles/the-six-essential-characteristics-of-successful-people/. 2 Sept 2024.
Trapani, Gina. “‘Don't Break the Chain' to Build a New Habit”. Lifehacker.com. https://lifehacker.com/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret-281626. 2 Sept 2024.
War As I Knew It; Patton, George S., Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston, 1947.
Wikipedia contributors. "Automaticity."?Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 28 May. 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automaticity. 2 Sep. 2024.
Wikipedia contributors. "Intention."?Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 May. 2024. Web. 2 Sep. 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intention
Wood W., Neal D. T. The habitual consumer. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2009:579–592. doi:?10.1016/j.jcps.2009.08.003.
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2 个月"Congrats on the new article!?Consistency really is key to achieving long-term success. I’m excited to dive into your insights on how staying consistent can drive empowerment. For anyone exploring this topic, what’s one tip you’ve found most effective in maintaining consistency in your own journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts and learn from your experiences. Looking forward to reading your article and sharing feedback! "
Energy Leader
2 个月Thanks for sharing Rodney. In a world where instant gratification is the norm, consistency is harder and harder to find.