Have you heard of the two Cs for success?
Commitment and consistency…
If ya wanna add a third C it’s probably coffee. LOL
As in a spicy cacao latte, obbbbbbviously.
But if you HAVE to pick just two Cs for success… commitment and consistency are way smarter choices.
Of course, success means different things to different people.
Commitment and consistency pay off if you’re working on your fitness…
Or you have a meaningful relationship…
And they also come into play with your biz.
Anything worth doing – that you actually give a shit about – has those two Cs involved.
So what makes the difference between the person who achieves the goals she has for herself… and the one who doesn't?
Discipline.
Ugh I know… not a sexy word.
But it’s true.
I also think integrity is involved.
Integrity is doing what you say you’re going to do.
Showing up. Following through.
Everyone wants to be someone with integrity.
But… and I hope you receive this with the love in which it’s intended…
When you flake out… or you give up too soon… or just choose to skip over the hard parts… or you tell yourself “I’ll start Monday…”
You’re not being in personal integrity.
But there ARE hacks to make commitment and consistency easier.
AKA: tricks to build a habit of discipline… so you CAN be integrity with what you truly want.
The first hack is to act with a sense of urgency.
Why is now the right time to make a change?
Because now is all you have.
There’s never a perfect time to start… so start NOW.
Let’s say you really want to create a biz.
What’s one thing you can do right now to move toward that goal?
- Could you research your industry or product?
- Could you start googling?
- Create a list of what you need to do for your business?
- Talk to other people who do what you want to do?
- Network, sign up for classes, join online groups… commit to learning daily?
Trust me when I tell ya… if you wait for all the stars to align, they never will.
There is always something you can do RIGHT NOW to move toward your goal.
And you gotta be ok with getting uncomfortable… and taking imperfect action.
What exactly does THAT mean?
It means accepting that you’re gonna make mistakes.
I know… all you type As out there just had a mini heart attack. LOL
But we all make mistakes.
I mean, I make them all the time.
Every launch something goes wrong. But I expect it.
I have learned that this happens to EVERYONE.
Even the richest, most successful people on the planet… they’ve had major eff ups.
But they move with a sense of urgency. Purpose.
Understanding that this is how it works.
Imperfect action. A learner's mindset.
So assume that you’re gonna make mistakes… and don’t let that hold you back from taking decisive action NOW.
I mean, this even applies to your personal life.
Let’s say you wanna get healthier… eat smarter… so you have more energy.
Because you wanna be happy with what you see in your selfies…
Or not be plagued by worry wondering if people are noticing you gained a few pounds.
Or you wanna be able to keep up with your kid when she wants to hike this summer… or ride bikes together.
The years when she wants to do that with you are short and fleeting… so for many people, that’s a huge catalyst to make new choices about their health and wellbeing.
If you tell yourself some BS story about, “I’ll start on Monday…”
When Monday comes, you’ve got some other excuse waiting.
You’re too busy. Too tired. Too overwhelmed. Too much to do.
Your dog puked on you and you’ve had day-long PTSD about it. Whatever. LOL
I mean, everyone knows this story.
There’s always SOME story… some excuse you could come up with to not do something different.
It’s old… and it’s tired.
And it’s not gonna serve you if you don’t commit to imperfect action… NOW. Urgently.
Living like your hair's on fire.
BTW – I get the reference but anytime I hear it it’s a little triggering.
Like, have you ever accidentally singed your hair? Like daydreaming while flat ironing… or getting too close to a candle?
First of all, burning hair smells AWFUL.
It’s such a specific scent… I swear I can smell it just by thinking about it. YICK
But you know what it’s like when you do catch your hair – or some other body part LOL – on fire.
You move QUICK. No, “Mehhhhh, I’ll do it later.”
It’s immediate… and it’s decisive.
That’s what I’m talking about here.
So what is one small action you can take right NOW toward whatever it is you want?
Success is made up of small actions done over time.
Inch by inch. Brick by brick. Day by day.
Knowing that mistakes will come… and you’ll address them. But you gotta start somewhere.
And you get to start TODAY.
Ok so let’s move on to the second hack… which is much more practical.
And guess what? Yep this is something you can do RIGHT NOW.
Woohoo! LOL
The second hack to build a habit of commitment and consistency to reach your vision of success…
Is to map out a series of small, doable goals that lead up to your BIG goal.
For example, let’s go back to that goal of having more energy… feeling better in your body… not being so effing tired all the time…
And slipping back into those jeans from 3 years ago.
(Did I tell you I found a pair of Levi’s I saved from college? And they still fit?) #superproudcougarmom #am I a MILF now?
Or some super cute new leggings for your summer hikes. LOL
Then you probably want to start with your nutrition and fitness.
You could set weekly mini goals that build up to that big goal.
And look at the actions you’re going to take in 1 week sprints.
If you focus on what you need to do in the next week, it feels manageable. Doable.
You can build urgency around the next week, right?
And if you make it FUN for yourself… you’re wayyyy more likely to show up and actually DO it.
Because if you are so focused on the end goal and don’t make it appealing as you go along… you’re gonna have a hard time being consistent.
Why do you think crash diets don’t work?You can’t deprive yourself all the time… and expect it to last.
So maybe you decide you’re gonna work out 5 days a week. But you choose FUN activities you enjoy. Or have always wanted to try.
Like Pilates… or an outdoor bootcamp. Or maybe a pole dancing class…. Yeah, get that J Lo bod, babe. LOL
Sidebar… Groupon is a GREAT place to check out unique health and fitness activities near you.
And you always get killer deals.
So if you try it out and it’s not for you, you’re not out a ton of cash. And you haven’t made a huge commitment either.
I mean… you made A commitment… but not one that’s a pain in the ass to change. LOL
Let’s go back to that whole thing about getting uncomfortable… pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone a bit.
You can’t expect to be awesome the first time you try something.
Literally no one expects that of you either.
And the real deal truth is… when you go to a class… or show up to a meetup… something new you wanna do…
Most of the people there are in the exact same position as you.
They’re nervous about looking foolish. Not knowing anyone. Feeling like a fake… less than.
Know what that means?9 times out of 10 everyone is so focused on their own inner monologue that they aren’t paying attention to anyone else AT ALL.
So if everyone is focused inwardly… you can guarantee they’re not looking at you. Or judging you.
Other than maybe thinking… damn, those leggings are super cute! Her butt looks AMAZE in them. LOL
When you’re just focused on the mini tasks in front of you… you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Showing up. Following through on your commitment… which builds consistency.
Getting fit may not be your big goal… but honestly it doesn’t matter what it is.
The hack still holds true.
What’s something YOU want to work on for the second half of this year?
Is it your relationship?Your work?
Getting back out there and being more social? Experiencing life more?
Whatever it is that matters to you – whatever success you’re dying to achieve this year – take that big goal and break it down into weekly mini goals. And make them FUN.
Our final hack for today is to celebrate your wins.
Yep, even the small ones.
And when you trigger one in response to hitting a goal or achieving a win… you can literally train your brain to go for more and more wins.
Our brains kick out a hormone called dopamine. It’s known as the happy hormone.
And when you achieve something – and celebrate it… your brain goes, “Hell yeah, here’s some dopamine for you!”
And it gives you a natural high.
And it makes you want to keep going. Do more. Achieve more.
Which… sounds a lot like consistency, doesn’t it?
So you can tap into this natural reward cycle of dopamine hits by building celebrating into your goal plan.
For example, when you hit that 5th workout in a week… plan a celebration for yourself.
I do that right now with my Duolingo app. I’m learning Spanish. My goal is one module a day. And sometimes I get sucked in and do 10.
It’s competitive. I want to be on the leaderboard. And it’s so fun.
Anyway, I celebrate.
Maybe it’s getting a blowout.
Or getting a massage. Which you probably need from all those workouts, amirite? LOL
You get to choose something that makes you feel good. Something that doesn’t create a setback for your goals.
Like, don’t treat yourself to a big old chocolate sundae after your 5th workout.
You gotta stay in alignment with your big goal.
Because as nice as short term wins feel… you’re aiming toward something bigger for yourself.
If your goal is to make progress in your biz… when you hit a mini goal – let’s say it’s to write a blog article…
What can you do to celebrate?
Can you tell a friend? Go out to lunch to celebrate?
It pays to have a hype man – or hype woman – on your side.
Hopefully you have at least one friend in your life who you can turn to to celebrate wins with you.
Maybe it’s your partner.
Trust me when I tell ya… celebrating your successes – even mini wins – is not being braggy.
When you share your win – and give yourself a reward – you actually boost that feedback loop in your brain.
So many of us downplay our accomplishments.
We think “eh, it’s no big deal… anyone can do this.”But the truth is… most people DON’T.
They don’t show up for themselves.
They don’t do the work… even if they could.
Even if you think there’s nothing special about what you did – that it’s easy – most people skate by.
They aren’t willing to step up and do the work.
And that’s why lots of people stay where they are. And complain about not being successful…
Not having the bod they used to… not being able to fit into their Levis from the 90’s.
Having to slug away at their 9-5 when they really wanna break out and be their own boss.
When you have commitment and consistency on your side… your chances of making your dreams and goals a practical reality SKYROCKET.
How you do anything is how you do everything.
So to help you get started, I’ve got a really handy download for ya.
It’s my signature 21-day habit tracker.
Remember how we talked about looking at your goals in 1-week sprint?This little guide helps you out with the first THREE weeks.
And since it’s a printable, you can even dash off a few copies. So you can keep going even beyond those first three weeks.
Checking off the box that you completed the action each day is a form of rewarding your brain.
Hellooooooooo dopamine!
Friends… before we wrap up for today, I just wanna remind you…
Everything you need to be a success in your life – whatever that means to you – is already in you.
Your drive. Your ambition. Your consistency. Your commitment.
You already have it.
You just gotta get over the stories… the excuses… the quote unquote “reasons” for not doing something…
And start taking imperfect action. Consistently.
I KNOW you can do it. 100%. Without a doubt.
And I’ll see ya online.