We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit

- Will Durant

These past few months have been somewhat of a whirlwind now that I’ve hit my stride at work, moved into a new place, and finally feel settled. But in the chaos I forgot about being consistent in my self development.

I’ve always searched my environment for balance, but when things are in flux I can’t focus. But life is always in flux, and if I rely on what’s out of my control then I’ll never be in control.

When it come to starting something new, many people like to get fired up and mentally masturbate, but come the next morning most will say “I’ll start later” and continue with their normal lives.

Some could say that they didn’t get motivated, or aren’t dedicated enough, but I have a few counters to that.

1. Learn to plan to plan to learn

There’s nothing wrong without an ambitious goal, but without a plan it’s just wishful thinking. The more you plan, the less you have to think about doing, and only have to worry about executing.

Know that there’s a balance, all planning doesn’t make up for no action, and no plan will cover everything. But overall it’ll should give you an idea of what to do and the next steps to continue.

2. Consistency

No matter how motivated you are, unless you regularly and consistency do what you need to do, you won’t get very far. When first starting a fitness routine, most personal trainers will advocate for many light work-outs over a few intense ones. It’s more powerful to create a habit than to try to rush to a result and burn out.

3. Prioritization

Learn to know what’s actionable now, what should be done later, and what’s not worth it. This is how you can prevent yourself from being overwhelmed. By keeping your mental space clear, you can focus at a task at hand.

There are many more points I could cover to help with habit building and consistency, but overall these are the major points that helped me through some rough times.