It’s easy to be tempted by quick solutions that promise life-changing results without effort. However, meaningful progress comes from showing up every day… even when it feels mundane.

Consistency isn’t glamorous, but it is powerful.

Every person who has achieved significant growth in their life has this in common: they just kept going! 

The “grind” of consistency is part of why it is so challenging to build the muscle of being consistent.

It often feels uneventful, hard to measure, and lacks the excitement of instant gratification. 

To build your consistency muscle, it helps to focus on the process, not instant results.

In this guide, we're going to dive into all of the keys to consistency: starting first with increasing our self-awareness.

Start Here: Increase Your Awareness

Here at focused space, we know that the first key to consistency is to get to the root of our values, goals, and what truly motivates us.

This helps us make sure that being consistent feels natural and aligned — instead of something that we are forcing.

6 Questions to Help You Increase Awareness

1. What is important to me right now, and why?
   
   

2. When do I feel most alive and inspired?
   
   

3. What drains me of energy?
   
   

4. How do I want to spend my time, energy, and resources?
   
   

5. What values and goals resonate most deeply with me?
   
   

6. What patterns or insights have I noticed when I feel motivated — or drained?

Take a moment to reflect on one or more of these questions to identify what truly matters to you.

If you want to spend more time on these, you can pull out a journal and start to jot down some notes about your answers.

Gain Clarity

When the world around us is ever-inconsistent, it can be challenging to figure out what we can do to increase our own consistency.

We just talked about increasing our awareness. Once we’ve gotten more clarity about what matters most to us in this moment, the next step is to create a clearer vision for our future. 

Progress feels rewarding when it aligns with a specific, meaningful goal. This clarity provides direction (and keeps us motivated) when things get a bit chaotic.

It’s important to remember that clarity usually doesn’t come all at once, so it helps to start small and take the pressure off of yourself if you can.

If you have a goal you’re working on or thinking about right now, I invite you to ask yourself these 2 questions:

• How will achieving this goal make me feel?

• What does success look like, in specific terms?

Once you have a goal, try breaking it down into measurable outcomes.

For example, if your big goal is to “improve your health” — first define what that looks like. Some examples include: "I want to run a 5K by June," or "I want to cook healthy meals at home 3 times a week."

If you’re struggling to break down your big goals right now — don’t worry!

Stick around with us, and we’ll help you figure it out over time. You don’t need to have the answer today.

Start Small

Big goals can feel overwhelming. That’s why consistency starts with small, achievable steps. 

Here at focused space, this is something we’ve baked into everything we offer our members — so we can support you in reaching your goals.

It’s okay if the smaller steps towards your goals feel boring or unexciting.

Focus on breaking your goals down into the simplest daily actions.

For example:

• If your goal is to write a book, start by writing 100 words a day.

• If your goal is to improve fitness, begin with a 10-minute walk.

Small steps build momentum. Over time, these daily actions compound into significant progress. 

Remember, the key to consistency is starting small and building gradually. 

And once you have the small steps identified, you can figure out ways to make them more fun, exciting, and playful!

We’re always happy to help you brainstorm about making your goals more fun — you are much more likely to accomplish goals that you find fun and rewarding! 🥳

Compare Wisely

We’ve covered increasing our awareness, gaining clarity, and starting small.

Now we’re going to talk about something spicy: comparison. 

Comparison is a natural human tendency, but we want to be mindful of how we’re using it.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on your own personal progress. The power of comparison is most useful when comparing our current selves to our former self.

Look back at where you were a week, a month, or a year ago. Take time to celebrate your growth, no matter how small. This positive reflection builds confidence and keeps you motivated.

So, next time you find yourself in a “self-critical” mode, stop for a moment and see how it feels to try a different narrative. 

Instead of comparing yourself to your ideal future self, try comparing to the version of you 6 months ago. Reflect on all of the ways in which you've grown and improved as a human being during that time-frame. 

When you do compare yourself to others, use it as inspiration rather than a measure of self-worth.

Remember, everyone’s journey is unique, and you only see a fraction of someone else’s story.

Remember: You're On A Journey

Just like your favorite heroes from an adventure movie, you're on a lifelong quest.

Our last tip is one of the most important — and it's also a life-long practice.

Consistency thrives when you learn to love the process, rather than fixating on the outcome. Instead of focusing solely on your end goal, shift your attention to the daily actions and habits that will get you there.

Achieving a goal may feel rewarding in the moment, but it’s the process that brings lasting fulfillment.

By embracing the journey, you reduce the pressure to achieve and allow yourself to grow naturally over time.

Remember, there’s no ultimate point of arrival.

Happiness and fulfillment come from showing up each day, taking small steps that you can find joy and pleasure in, and celebrating the process. 

Here are two questions I'd like to leave you with:

• What aspects of your daily routine can you find joy in?

• How can you reward yourself for consistent effort, regardless of the outcome?

If you're new to building consistent habits and routines, we hope this week's theme gave you some new tools to try. And if you're already a pro, we hope some of these prompts will be useful to your ongoing practice!

P.S. If you could use help accomplishing your goals this season, please join us at one of our live guided work sessions, or morning planning sessions!

Take care,

— Megan, focused space host