How to Be Consistent: 6 Essential Tips | Spica (2024)

6 Tips to Become More Consistent

1. Set Your Goals

In order to become moreconsistent, you have to set clear goalsthat you want to work towards.

You can start by listingall of them in a notebook or a piece of paper. Then, evaluate those goals andtry to formulate a plan on how best to achieve them. If this doesn’t help, youcan try one of the various goal-setting methods and techniques out there.

For example, you can trythe SMART method for setting goals –commonly used for personal development and business and project management.With this method, you can set cleargoals and increase the likelihood of successfully achieving them.

To start using the SMARTtechnique, you should:

• Specific – Set a specific goal that is bothwell-defined and focused.
• Measurable – Make sure that the goal you set canbe measurable. Meaning that it includes certain criteria that will allow you totrack progress.
• Achievable – You have to ensure that the goalyou’ve set out to accomplish is actually achievable. Consider all of yourresources, skills, and limitations. Don’t sell yourself short, but also don’tveer away from reality.
• Relevant – The goal you are trying to accomplishshould be meaningful, relevant, and aligned with your core values andobjectives.
• Time-bound – To push yourself to become moreconsistent, set a specific deadline for completing said goal. This will createa sense of urgency and will help you stay on track.

2. Learn How to Prioritize

Sometimes, the thingthat keeps us from being consistent is our inability to prioritize. When you’redealing with multiple tasks, work, or personal obligations at the same time,all vying for your attention, you might find it hard to be consistent.

Learning how toprioritize can help you set your mind right, make it easier to deal withmultiple things at once, and ultimately become more consistent.

There are a lot ofdifferent ways and methods for prioritization. You can start with a simpleto-do list, where you write down all of your tasks and obligations and startticking them off one by one. It's also very useful to have a not-to-do list.

If that doesn’t work,you can try one of the many prioritization techniques until you find the onethat suits your particular needs and wants. For example, you can go with theEisenhower method (created by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower). To start with,you should arrange all of your tasks into four separate categories based ontheir importance and urgency:

• Category1 – Urgent and important tasks.You should do these straight away.
• Category2 – Not urgent but importanttasks. You should schedule these for a later date.
• Category3 – Urgent but not importanttasks. Try to delegate these.
• Category4 – Not urgent and not importanttasks. Don’t bother doing these. Either eliminate them or postpone themindefinitely.

Another commonly usedmethod for prioritizing that you could try is called the ABCDE technique.Here’s how it works:

• Make a list of all of your tasks;
• Set letters to each of your tasks in the order ofpriority (A is the highest, B is an average priority, C is low, and so on);
• Start working on your tasks based on the lettergrades you’ve assigned (first deal with the A’s, then the B’s, and so forth).

3. Always Record Your Progress

Another vital part oflearning how to be consistent is to actively record your progress (on yourtasks, goals, obligations, etc.).

You can go with the low-tech method andsimply keep a journal of your progress. If that is not up your alley, you couldtry out more modern solutions like an easy-to-use spreadsheet or a digital app.

4. Limit Distractions

Distractions, especiallyif they happen a lot, can significantly stifle your journey to becoming moreconsistent. That’s why it’s important to actively work on eliminating orlimiting distractions. Here’s how you can do that:

• Have a dedicated workspace;
• Turn off your phone while working or turn offnotifications;
• Limit the amount of time you spend browsing theweb or social media sites;
• Try out apps or different digital tools that canhelp you stay engaged more constantly;
• Try time-management techniques;
• Create a routine and stick to it.

5. Track Time

A big part of being consistent revolves aroundknowing where and how you spend yourtime. And, in the context of work, that means tracking the duration ofindividual tasks. There are several ways to do this:

• The pen and paper method – track time manuallyand record the results on a piece of paper;
• Using a regular spreadsheet – track time manually and note theresults in a spreadsheet;
• Using a regular timesheet – track timemanually and write down the results in a timesheet (digital or paper);
• Use project time tracking – allow adigital tool to automatically track the time for you and get 100% accurateresults. You can find software with automated features for generatingtimesheets or spreadsheets;

After you’ve collected the information abouthow long it takes you to complete tasks, you can evaluate it to figure outwhat’s stopping you from being consistent. Try to find answers to questionslike:

• Why does this particular task takex amount of time to finish?
• Can some tasks be done faster?
• Are there tools that I can use tostreamline the process of completing certain tasks?
• Is my consistency dropping becauseof task difficulty?
• Can I improve work consistency byenhancing my skills and making particular groups of tasks easier to perform?

6. Be Patient and ForgiveFailures

Once you start yourjourney to become more consistent, you will inevitably encounter failure. Itcould manifest itself in the form of not meeting the deadlines you set foryourself, or it could end up with you completely failing to meet the mark.

Ineither case, it’s important not to give up, but to give yourself enough time towork on another solution, forgive yourself, be patient, and change your mindsetabout failure.

Instead of fearing thenegative outcomes, focus on growth and reframe failure as an opportunity toimprove. As Carol Dweck, a famous psychologist writes in her book “Mindset: TheNew Psychology of Success”:

“In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome.If you fail—or if you’re not the best—it’s all been wasted. The growth mindsetallows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome.