When it comes to setting (and keeping) goals, it’s harder than it seems. (Ask anyone who has made a New Year’s resolution.) Every now and then we can have a life epiphany that tells us that if we consistently do what we do for a long enough timewe are committed to achieving most of our goals. But then we do nothing about it and end up being sucked back into the black hole of inconsistency. What is the definition of insanity? Do the same thing over and over and expect different results.
Without consistency and discipline, we won’t see results, and we often end up feeling sad and unfulfilled. It’s the same story over and over. But people with incredible self-discipline have a certain stick-with-it-ness that allows them to do so forget the excuses and get things done.
People with incredible discipline do these things consistently:
1. They start small
When we try to work on something new, we always do overestimate how much we can do. This can be attributed to three factors: First, the initial excitement at the idea of improving our lives can lead us to be a bit overambitious. Next, our ego also plays a factor. (For example, we think, “Five minutes of reading a day? That’s ridiculous. I can easily read two hours a day.”) Finally, there is short-term thinking or a quick desire for results.
But the initial intensity always fades. It gets harder to keep going. And then we end up giving up the habit altogether. But to be consistent, think long term and start small. It’s a smart move.
2. They avoid the black hole ‘zero’
Kateryna Hliznitsova / Unsplash+
A black hole is a mass in the universe whose gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape it. That’s why we call them black holes. Zero is also a black hole.
You might think that zero is just one less than one, but that’s not true. Zero is much less than one because zero has its own destructive powers. A zero day has the power to convert the next day into a zero day too, and on and on.
On the other hand, you have a fantastic power of your own. One leads to two, and then to five and 10. This means that if you normally do 10 minutes of meditation, but today you feel that 10 is too much, you can choose one minute. And after that one minute is up, you’ll probably want to do more, and you’ll end up doing 5 minutes or even 10.
3. Disciplined people use apps for accountability
The desire not to break a line makes for a fantastic consistency. When you reach a significant number, e.g. 30, you will be motivated not to break the streak. Try building streaks for the good habits you want to start. Maybe you use Coach application to build streaks on writing, studying, exercising or eating healthy. No matter what that habit is, it is there probably a productivity app which can help you stick to it.
4. They note the sacrifices they must make
It is quite obvious that in order to achieve something, you have to sacrifice something. But there is a lack of clarity about what we are willing to sacrifice and what we are not willing to sacrifice.
Unless and until you know what you have to sacrifice, maintaining consistency is not easy. So write down on a piece of paper the sacrifices necessary to achieve consistency – this will help guide your subconscious mind and prepare you for what you are aiming for.
5. They make exceptions for what they are not willing to sacrifice
The problem with streaks is that people make them far too strict to be functional in the real world. For example, if you’re trying to build a streak of “eating healthier” but you love food and don’t want to go 100 days straight without eating any junk food, does that mean you can’t use the psychological benefit of a streak in such a case?
You can, but you’ll need to make your lines a bit more flexible by adding a list of exceptions. Your exceptions could be, for example, that you can eat a cheat meal on Sunday, or you can have a piece of cake for birthdays. The key point is that you still want to check in on your streak of healthy eating, but you can also add some realistic caveats.
You might think that adding caveats or ‘cheat days’ defeats the purpose of the streak, but flexibility actually helps you account for reality. This way you can live life and get the psychological benefits of the streak. But you have to be careful and not get so regimented that your goals become impossible to keep.
6. Disciplined people adapt to changing circumstances
Ahmed / Unsplash+
Maybe you have a streak of exercise where you go to the gym five days a week, and the other two days you train your core at home. This is the ideal you are aiming for. But even this streak has exceptions like it’s okay to skip practice during the exam because it’s an exception you can anticipate and add the flexibility to it.
But sometimes you’ll face new situations like maybe you’re jet lagged or you’re staying in a hotel without a gym where you don’t know the right answer. But in these moments, you make the decision that is best for your health, safety and well-being.
In short, when you are unable to complete your normal threshold, make a conscious decision and do the bare minimum or what you are capable of. If you’re on an outdoor run but it’s forecast to be thundery all day, you might want to switch to a treadmill. Check in with yourself about what you’re actually capable of doing – and sometimes it’s nothing – because the important thing is that you showed up, and it doesn’t matter how long.
7. They avoid making the same mistake twice
If you end up breaking your streak, remember that the day after you break a streak is a crucial day. That day also has destructive powers. It wants to form its own stripe called “no-show”. So you have to restart your streak.
Avoiding the second mistake is an idea shared by author James Clear: The premise is that mistakes are okay and part of the process, but they shouldn’t become part of the pattern.
Don’t let your one mistake grow, mutate and overwhelm you. Put a stop to it. When you break a streak, immediately restart another one. Make it your top priority.
8. People who are disciplined use the ‘plus one’ rule
Let’s say on your first streak you stay consistent for 35 days and then you miss a day, but you immediately start your streak again. So what? The plus-one rule says you should aim for at least 35 days plus an extra day for a total of 36 days.
Why is this important? First, this way you will do more than you did last time. Second, it will be more fun because you challenge yourself.
If you make these two rules – “avoid making the same mistake twice” and the “plus-one rule” – the pillars of your streak-building, think how disciplined you will become and how easily you will move towards achieving your goals.
Dr. Akshad Singi, MD, is an author whose work has been published in Better Humans, Mind Cafe, Medium, and more.
