How to Be Consistent in Your Career

How to Be Consistent in Your Career When people talk about having a successful career, they often say that productivity and motivation are the two most important factors â€" but few people talk about how important consistency is. The most successful business owners and entrepreneurs are consistent every single day, and over time this produces fantastic results, but how exactly does someone become consistent? Thankfully it isn’t as difficult as it sounds; you just need to adjust your mind-set and set specific goals. Here are five tips to help you be more consistent in your career. Identify Any Issues The first thing you should do is identify any issues that could be affecting your consistency at work. Is there anything you avoid doing because you find it challenging or unpleasant? Do you have a negative relationship with any of your daily tasks? What do you think is your most damaging inconsistency at work? Once you identify an issue, sit down and take some time to think about how you can get rid of it. For example, if you hate responding to emails you could do it first thing in the morning (every morning). This means that you don’t have to spend the day worrying about when you will complete the job, so you will feel happier and less stressed. You will also feel more proactive and motivated as the hard work is done (so you can spend the rest of the day focusing on more important tasks). Aim for Incremental Improvements When it comes to making big changes, very little happens overnight. Our brains can’t change in an instant (sadly); in fact, research has found that it can take months for people to break bad habits. So, don’t set huge goals on the first day of trying to be more consistent â€" instead be patient and focus on making incremental improvements. This will be less mentally overwhelming, and it will also be easier for you to achieve small goals (such as getting up at 7AM every morning). If you try this tip, remember to celebrate every little goal. Changing life-long habits can be very difficult, and your hard work should be celebrated. Segment Your Day It can also be useful to segment your day into chunks. This makes it easier for you to prepare for different tasks throughout the day, so you will feel less overwhelmed â€" and the preparation means you are more likely to have a productive, successful day. Start the day by separating your work into small chunks, and then focus on accomplishing each small goal. Remember that this isn’t about getting everything done every day; there will still be days where tasks are unfinished. The goal is to have a consistent routine every day so that you feel on top of things, rather than stressed or overwhelmed. Use Support Tools It can also be useful to use support tools to help you at work. There are lots of useful business apps and websites that can benefit you, from task trackers to automation systems that complete admin tasks for you. For instance, if you work as a home inspector, you can use an ISN to help you complete home inspection reports. It is also possible to use time trackers to measure how much time you spend on each task, which is ideal for people who send monthly invoices. And don’t worry about support tools being a big expense, as most tools are free or affordable. This is perfect for small business owners with a tight budget (especially if they are already feeling overworked or overwhelmed). Be Accountable Finally, it is important to hold yourself accountable. And no, this doesn’t mean mentally beating yourself up for failing to do a task; everyone plateaus sometimes, and it is a normal (but admittedly frustrating) part of life. However, it is important to be aware of the issue, and how you can prevent it from happening again in the future. So, if you ever feel unhappy with your actions at work, take some time to sit down and think about why. Could you have prevented the issue? If so, what can you do now to reduce the chance of it happening again? Being consistent can seem like an impossible task, especially if you are easily distracted, but in reality, you just need to make small daily changes to feel more consistent and productive. Remember that anyone can achieve consistency with just a little bit of effort, time, and practice.