Recently I watched a short video of Mr Denzel Washington giving a short speech on consistency and commitment;
“Without commitment you will never start, but more importantly without consistency, you will never finish”.
It takes strength and perseverance to be consistent, more so when you do not see immediate results. At times we do not want to wait months or years and if there is no passion so to speak, we can easily allow our ideas to fall off the wayside.
My first year into blogging, I was totally dissatisfied with my number of followers and comments left after each blog. I naively questioned whether blogging was truly for me as if it were, where were all these people swarming my blog? On reflection I knew I had a passion for writing and made a decision to write once weekly regardless of how many people read my articles. There are thousands of bloggers all over the world working to find their niche. Some are talented with a natural flair for writing and I have learnt from them. However, I will maintain the notion that among the thousands there is also a place for me. For this reason I will continue to use my voice.
The number of actors/actresses and business owners who have been on the scene for years; building up their profile by networking, attending auditions and business meetings only to be rejected for someone more talented and experienced. You rarely hear of such people when they are on route to making it, only when they have made it. This can give one the impression that their road to fulfilling their goal was straightforward; that everything fell into place for them. Not so!
I will admit that being consistent can be tedious and dull. Some days you will not feel like working on your business plan/project/other but if we only did what we felt, how many of us would leave our house until noon? Nobody reaches their goal by doing what they feel. Famous authors, entrepreneurs, innovators did not make it by limiting the amount of time they spent pursuing their goal. They made the necessary sacrifices with their time and their finances. They put in the hard work in order to reap the fruit. We must be willing to put in the work – there are no shortcuts.
My three tips on remaining consistent;
1. Reflect on your “why”. Why do you want to fulfil this goal?
2. Schedule time slots in which to work on your business or project. Work around them as if they are non-negotiable. Inform friends and family you are not available at these times.
3. Go back to point 1!
How has consistency contributed to you fulfilling your goals?
What advice would you give for those who struggle in the area of consistency?
organisedlady 
I believe that consistency is key. The only problem is time but having said that, my aim is to start reflecting on my“why”. Why do I want to fulfil this goal?
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The “why” keeps you hanging on for the long haul.
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Loved the quote you have began the post with!
Consistency is indeed the key when it comes to bringing results.
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It is rather encouraging.
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So agree with this post. I have been doing endurance sports for over 30 years and have found that consistency is the main attribute one must have to reach their goals. Seems like Aristotle had a quote something like, “you are what you repeatedly do.” And, on a personal level, consistency, I think the achievement of a degree of consistency can nurture healthy self respect and personal integrity.
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Commitment is certainly required when engaging in competitive sporting activities.
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I love the quote you have shared: “Without commitment you will never start, but more importantly without consistency, you will never finish”. I am going to paste this quote on my desk for those days, I can’t get motivated.
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Mina – I too think this quote is encouraging.
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Wow did I need this message today! Consistency, consistency, consistency! OK! I’m going to put “my nose to the frind stone” and get to work. Thanks!
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I am pleased my blog has spoken to you and your personal circumstances. Let me know how you get on.
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Well said, Phoenicia. I started working on the novel (that Jeri Walker is now reviewing!) 4 or 5 years ago, when I was working full-time. It was hit or miss on having the time or energy to do it. Some friends who ask about my writing always look so dismayed when I tell them it’s still in process. Like I should have finished it and sold it in 6 months.
So, I just go about being consistent with the novel, the blog and the other writing I’m doing, putting in the work and praying that I’m going the direction God wants me to go!
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Wow Rose Mary – you are writing a novel. It is easy to underestimate the time it takes to write a book. You have your hands in a lot of pies and hope each one brings a lot of fruit.
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Beautifully said Phoenicia! I am a firm believe in the importance of the things we do day in and day out. I have a little mantra I use – “just one more.” Whenever I get to the point of wanting to quit, I fall back on my “just one more” mantra and it’s amazing how that one more time has helped me to catch my second breath and keep on going. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Marquita – I like your method of ensuring you do all you can each day. We have to resist the urge of doing what we feel to.
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I can relate to your comment, Marquita. Only my mantra is, “Come on, Doreen. Try harder!” I’ve lost count in how many times I have had to say that to myself.
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It is a great way to challenge yourself.
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Phoenicia, this blog is inspiring !!!!!
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Thank you for the encouragement Anjana and for following my blog.
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Am in two minds about the concept on consistency. Am a serial entrepreneur and am hence of the opinion that if I was consistant no ideas would be developed because routine would get in the way. On the other hand if you are not consistant in the sense of doing your utmost on a daily basis you will fail. No consitency in the world though will compensate for innovative ideas.
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Thank you for your take on this Catarina.
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Great message for new bloggers Phoenicia and so true. Don’t you often hear from the ‘overnight’ success who will tell overnight only took ten years.
When blogging there is so much to learn. I believe I went 6 months or so without knowing what keywords or tags were or the importance of good photos.
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So much work goes on behind the scenes and we only tend to see the end result.
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The ten-year overnight success.
I read an article recently which highlighted a graph of traffic to a popular blog. It showed a steady but very slow climb over the course of two or three years, which was climbing on the order of zero to maybe 100 clicks per day (depending on what you consider a click). I don’t recall where I found the article, or the name of the blog, but the message was clear. There was a little arrow pointing to the slow, and almost non-existent traffic after so long, directly before a sharp rise in popularity, which climbed exponentially from that point until it leveled off again. The caption was something like “suppose she decided to quit right here.”
Good article. Seeds are sowed in black soil and require massive inputs of water, nutrients, and sunlight before they really start to grow. A seed can lay in the ground for years before it germinates, but once it sprouts, it’s hard to stop it from growing and bearing fruit.
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Thank you for sharing this. People can give up when they are so close to excelling. If only they could see.
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Yep. You have to remember to cherish the little wins too. Each time I get a new follower on my blog or vlog it makes me super happy. That’s one more person that values my advice.
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