Why Is Being Consistent So Hard?
It's an objective fact that without consistency, nothing concrete or substantial enough can be achieved to make a difference between what is and what can be.
In a way, nature is a great example of why consistency is necessary, in the sense that natural processes like the changing of seasons or the growth of a plant rely on consistent, predictable patterns.
Similarly, in our own lives, achieving goals requires us to show up and put in the effort consistently, even when motivation wanes.
What's interesting to observe is that even with things that interests us or we're so passionate about, achieving consistency can feel like an uphill battle where our chances of falling down are always higher than continuing climbing upwards.
Part of the reason being that our "interest levels" naturally fluctuate, and distractions are everywhere. The latter can be a true menace for modern people with aspirations.
A Limited And Depleted Willpower
The concept of willpower depletion refers to the idea that our self-control or discipline operates like a mental muscle that gets fatigued with use.
For instance, throughout the day, as we make choices and exert self-control in various areas, our willpower reserves become depleted.
This could explain why we tend to feel drained and more susceptible to temptations or less likely to exert effort towards our goals during the latter part of the day.
In the context about consistency with passions, willpower depletion can also explain why even activities we enjoy can feel like an uphill battle, provided they're performed during that time of the day mentioned above.
However, removing time from the equation reveals that our already limited willpower is generally getting more depleted with our increasingly shorter attention spans and the constant barrage of distractions in the modern world.
Now, the opposite of depleted is replenished and the opposite of limited is unlimited. Granted, having unlimited willpower is probably unachievable. But replenishing what is depleted is very achievable, especially if we have the know-how.
Similar to having a short attention span, the source of the problem usually lies in the way we live and structure our days(time).
In a traditional sense, a well-structured day with a designated time for each task can become a habit and foster consistency.
But looked in a different way, this same traditional schedule can become rigid over time, feel restrictive and stifle spontaneity.
Unrealistic in today's fast-paced world with constant interruptions, this lack of flexibility can ironically make it harder to maintain consistency in the long run, despite feeling like we're doing everything "right."
Thanks for reading!! Share your thoughts below on the comments.
This is why consistency is required all the time. We may feel exhausted from doing the same routine on a daily basis, but we still can try to change the method while still doing what we need to do and achieving best results with daily showing up.
Right. Past a certain point, it's about being flexible with our routines, adapting to the changes and refining the processes to keep being consistent rather than trying to upheld the traditional schedule that no longer seems fitting.
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This in itself is all so true. As simple as can be done, it is almost always overlooked and like you said it begins to feel rigid.
When that rigidity begins to play out mixing things up a bit can go a long way.
Right! I think solving certain problems are much easier when we find the source of it, which tends to make the whole process quite simple. Of course, we also tend to dramatize things just to feel like we're actually doing progress when in reality is just running around in circles.
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