Getting results over time is all about consistency.
Whether it’s to stay fit, develop a business, improve in art, consistency over a long period of time will make the difference.
For some, it’s easy to get started, but after the first boost of motivation, good habits are gone. For others, staying with it for a while is feasible. But to succeed, to have lasting results, it’s more and more recommended to continue over a decade.
Some habits are meant to become a system. Ideally, they are there for life. Eating well, moving every day, breathing exercises, prospecting for a salesperson, writing for a blogger…
So the question is how to keep going in the face of unforeseen events and fatigue.
Photo by Francisco Moreno on Unsplash
I started a series of new habits around physical and moral health six years ago. This gives me more than 1800 days of practice. Here’s what I’ve learned in the process.
Even when a habit is ingrained, when it’s relatively easy to do, at some point, you may feel moral or physical fatigue. As soon as you feel these first signals, start a simple change. A minor adjustment in a routine will be like a breath of fresh air. Discover my Resource guide: The 11 books that have influenced my career the most. (Including my favorite of all categories)
For example, I do the 7 minutes every day. It’s a sequence of physical exercises—12 sets of 30 seconds each. After more than six years of daily practice, I have felt the signs of boredom several times. Here is my secret to get past these difficulties.
- Start with the classic series proposed
- Move on to the other series proposed in the application.
- Create my own series.
- Modify my series according to my interests. Focus on Karate, focus on learning to surf, etc.
- Modify my series with my environment. Currently, I am on holiday. My flat overlooks the beach. There is an outdoor gym dedicated to bodyweight training. So I turned my 7 minutes into a short jog to the outdoor gym. I do a set of exercises, then run to the beach, swim a bit, and run back. It’s over 7 minutes, but it’s so much fun.
These changes, which I apply to all my routines, give me the novelty to continue. I see them as innovations in daily life. I write down all my ideas in Evernote. I don’t apply them as soon as I find them. I continue a series as long as I don’t feel bored.
Most of my habits are systems that I hope will stay with me throughout my life. So I’m not in a hurry. I only implement changes when I feel the first signs of wear and tear.
My habits have very positive effects on my personal and professional life. My ability to innovate, to change is an essential part of my recipe. After more than 1800 days of daily practice, I can only encourage you to try this method.
On your marks, get set, fire, go…
Start your new habits and run with them.
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