I suspect this post will save you from unnecessary failure.
When you aim to build a good habit or achieve a long-term goal, what is the first advice you get?
Consistency, consistency, consistency…
Yes, that is true. But here is the thing nobody tells you — you need consistency, but not 100%. And understanding this nuance will save you someday. Here is why.
No matter how committed you are, you are not going to be 100% consistent, all your life. Once in a while, life will come in the way. You may have travel, you fall sick, or something upsets your life.
If your baseline expectation is that you have to be 100% consistent, you will beat yourself up for the ‘unforgivable failure’ and quit.
On the other hand, if you expect that once in a while, things could go wrong, you will just restart the next day. My feeling is that 80-90% consistency is good enough for most long-term goals.
But does it mean you take it easy 10-20% of the days? No. This cushion is for those days when things go out of control — it is not a license to take it easy.
So aim for 100% but be prepared for 80-90% consistency. When you know that things can go wrong, you will just brush it off and start the next day instead of ruminating over ‘how useless I am!’
Don’t quit. Just restart — again, and again, and again.
Here is my detailed take on this in my newsletter. Click here: https://lnkd.in/gyQYDWWC
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– Rajan