So who are you being fair to here? Are you giving yourself a fair chance to test out a new strategy? Or are you giving the strategy a fair chance to work for you? Often times we try new things, only to abandon them a week or two in. This isn’t nearly enough time to accurately gauge whether a new strategy or habit will work for you.

Without getting too much into theology, the sanskrit term ‘sadhana’ is about the consistent effort to achieve success in any stream of day-to-day life.

We have all heard that scientists say it takes 21 days to make/break a habit, but this simply isn’t true. Science is still out on the matter — it can take a week, or a year or anywhere in between to start and accept a new habit.

However, in the Yogic tradition, a Mandala is a self-practice sadhana that one makes a commitment to completing after learning a yogic practice, it is a 42 day cycle. It is said that a half-mandala, at 21 days, is about the time where the human system can take in the new practice, not just as a mental understanding, but as a living experience. Knowing where these numbers come from can help you see where the tradition is born, and how it can work for you.

Consistency then can be seen as making a commitment to yourself, that you will practice your new tool/strategy/habit for at least 21 days. This almost sounds like a resolution in and of itself. But let’s focus on consistency.

You can’t expect to succeed if you only put in work on the days you feel like it.

Being consistent, focused, and action driven is how you get from where you are now to success in your goals. Here are 10 tidbits on how to be consistent:

1. Set SMART goals in advance of tasks


2. Reduce overwhelm – 1, 3, 5 years is a long time out, look at the next 3 weeks, and then the next 3 weeks. Have 90 day goals and break them down, that sort of idea.


 3. Prioritize your consistency.  Tony Robbins once said, “If it’s not scheduled, it’s not real.” Make yourself a schedule, write down your routine, whether it’s on a calendar, in a note on your phone, or in a bullet journal, be consistent!


4. Set reminders for yourself, they could be in the form of alarms on your phone, an app that sends notifications, or simple sticky-tabs near your computer or the mirror in the bathroom.


 5. A bullet journal is a great way to track and evaluate your progress, but whatever format you use, be sure to check in with yourself, daily, weekly, monthly, whatever is going to work, use that method – just recognize that some things will need a longer window to show success – if you rated your ability to speak a foreign language in a week, you might not see much progress, but if you rate it again in 3 months, you’d be excited about the results. 


6. If you struggle with holding yourself accountable, bring a friend! Accounta-buddies, that’s what I call it. Someone who can hold you to your word. It’s not as easy to say no to a buddy system.


7. Avoid cheerleaders and criticism – work toward your goals quietly, and consistently, let your success be what others see


8. Set boundaries – if you’ve set aside time to do the thing, and someone interrupts, you can prepare some statements ahead of time that might help, like “I’ve got to focus on this task for another 30 minutes, but then I’d be available for you. Can you come back then?” Turn off the ringer on your phone.

 
 9. Celebrate the small wins – remember that you’re doing the hard work. Give yourself a pat on the back when you need it. And celebrate with actions, like going out for a cup of cocoa, or a spa day, or give yourself a period of time off, or buy yourself something small, but nice. There are lots of ways to celebrate that don’t involve monetary costs. Soak in a bath, go for a hike, listen to music.


10. Remind yourself of your long-term goals. Maybe you’re only working toward a 3 week or 90 day goal right now, but it is just one step on your journey – what IS your 1 year, 5 year, 10 year plan. Sometimes you need to focus on the bigger picture to be able to have the willpower to do the small task now, even though you don’t wanna!
 AND KEEP GOING if you make a mistake or misstep, it’s okay, that just means try again. Remember that we only see people’s highlight reels on social media, rarely do people show their trial and error to get where they are now. I have a mentor who often talks about Edison and the lightbulb, that it took him hundreds of tries to get it right, and even when it worked he still had to use a gas lamp to take notes by. Your efforts will pay off, be sure to acknowledge when they do!

Create systems that work for you. Be prepared ahead of time with the tools you need for your task. Set the stage/environment and be flexible with what arises in any given moment. Last week on Open Conversations with International Coaches we talked about affirmations, and they can be part of a positive motivator here, too. Something as simple as reminding yourself, “I complete tasks”. Try to avoid the negative self-talk. If it does come up, talk back to it, challenge it.  When that inner voice says “You can’t do this” .. Bury it with the evidence, “I’ve done this and this and this and this, which means I sure as heck can do THIS!”

And remember what Jake the Dog from Adventure Time says “Sucking at something is the first step to becoming sorta good at something.”

If you consistently work toward you goals, you will find success. Just be sure to define what that success will be ahead of time, or you might miss it! If you want some help working on your new year’s resolution, reach out for a free 30 minute discovery call and lets get things started!