All goals are built on consistency first and foremost. Natural inclination or talent are typically much less important. You can have the most talented person in the world, but if that talent is not focused via consistent action, it will amount to little. On the contrary, someone with little talent or natural inclination toward a goal who simply shows up and follows a reasonable plan will likely achieve great success. Here is a simple acronym for building this consistency - I CAN.
I - Identity. Whatever your goal is, you are now that goal. Do you want to lose weight and be healthier. You ARE someone who eats healthy and exercises. Do you want to stop eating sugar because you suffer with diabetes? You ARE a nutritious person who eats healthy carbs because you care about your body and feel better that way. Do you want to run a half marathon this year? You ARE a runner. Stop putting the word “try” in front of what you want to do. Learn to identify yourself as what you are aspiring to, even if you are not 100% there yet. “Trying” is a way out. If you tell yourself you ARE something, you are creating the person you want to be! If you fall short of your goal, it doesn’t matter - you are now that much closer and you can simply adjust your plan (see below).
C - Create and Commit. Find, obtain, or create a plan and commit to it. Regardless of what comes up, you will do the plan to the best of your natural inclination/talent level. This works for any kind of plan - if you have always had a hard time eating well or have little innate knowledge about what is good nutrition, you can still commit and follow a plan that is a at reasonable level for you. (This is where an expert in your field is instrumental - they can meet you where you’re at and create what will work for you.)
A - Appointments. Make appointments with yourself. Your plan will get transferred to your calendar (actually write it in) and you simply show up for that appointment with yourself. The more you can put it in at a consistent time in your days, the better. Pick times where there is little “friction” to implementing it. As you plan the event, make sure you know what things and steps need to be completed. For example, do you need to purchase anything special like certain food? Do you need to allow time to make a grocery list? Do you need to recruit help from a family member to watch kids while you walk? Plan these into your calendar!
N - No excuses. There are 10,000 reasons every day to not show up, to eat less nutritious food, to not exercise. Everyone is busy, tired, stressed, and has a million commitments. Yet it’s possible to do the things you want. If you don’t believe that, find someone whose life looks like yours (e.g., a working mother, a mature runner, a corporate weight lifter) and follow them (social media is an excellent resource for this). Listen to their tips for how they get it done and how they navigate obstacles. If you are identifying yourself as your goal, then it will become a priority. If you have it in your calendar, you will do it. Simply show up and start. As you continue to show up, you will reinforce the notion of who you are…your possibilities are limitless, your growth will be exponential!
I CAN —> CONSISTENCY —> GOAL ACHIEVEMENT!!!