5 Ways to Not Get Bored with Habits & Consistency!
I’m usually an all-or-nothing kind of gal.
Maybe you are too.
Or guy :)
I like to challenge myself.
I like to think of what my ultimate goals are and then strive to do something consistently for a period of time (if not forever).
If I’m not on top of my game, I might be inclined to wait until the next week to try again for that clean slate, fresh start kind of feeling.
(That’s the perfectionist in me)
But if I am on top of it and getting that thing done on the reg, it feels like I’m on top of the world!
Until I get bored of it and need a change.
We all know that consistency is required for success.
I believe it.
We won’t get six-pack abs if we do a 15-minute ab workout just every once in a while.
We have to be persistent with a regular routine to get results.
What I’ve been learning though is that there is a downside to consistency.
That’s right.
Consistency can breed rigidity and tunnel vision.
This rigidity can also include the kind of perfectionism I was referring to in my own example.
But also, when our head is down, grinding away in that one direction, sometimes we can lose sight of the big picture and where we’re really heading.
By consistently putting our energy into things that don’t really align to our vision, we can get burnt out and not even realize it’s happening.
We can be spinning our wheels, but feeling like we’re not really getting anywhere, thus killing our motivation, reducing spontaneous learning, and the chance to seize unexpected opportunities.
In some instances, it’s more powerful to let go, embrace the unknown, and be spontaneous!
After all, as Dr. Joe Dispenza says, the unknown is where the magic lies.
Deep down, don’t we all want life to be a little magical? :)
Now the question is..
How do we balance consistency and spontaneity?
First, we need to know where we want to go and the right steps to get there.
But we also want to allow room to breathe for inspiration and divine intervention.
Here are 5 ways we can do that:
Learn to be more flexible.
Flexibility can look like being okay with not going 100% all in on a task on days that you really need it.Like.. if you’re making it a habit to write 500 words a day, but don’t really feel inspired and feel like you need a break, just writing out 100 words will still flex that muscle but won’t totally burn you out.
And.. instead of feeling guilty about not going full throttle, use it as a chance to ask yourself why you’re not feeling that inspired right now.
Are you tired and need more sleep?
Are you staying hydrated so you can stay more alert throughout the day?
Do you need a healthy snack to perk you up and give you some energy?
Maybe you feel like you’re stuck in the trenches and struggling to trudge through.
A quick reminder of our why can give us clearer vision and a boost of energy!
Remind yourself why you want to reach this goal, how succeeding is going to make you feel, how it’s going to benefit your life (and possibly others), and remember how flexing the muscle of accomplishing that habit/task is going to help get you there!
(Side note.. overarching goals can evolve as you grow, and that’s awesome.)
Being aware of your why
+ being aware of the reasons you’re not feeling inspired about it right now, then finding your way around it
= a HUGE advantage in your journey going forward and being in a much better position to mitigate “not feeling like it.”Sometimes we just need to give our fire some space to breathe so it doesn’t burn out.
Invite variability.
Along with being more flexible, have fun shaking things up sometimes!
Variability can look like doing something similar or different altogether that can bring in new inspiration and ideas.
Like with the writing example, maybe you don’t write 500 words, or even 100, but you do feel like researching an interesting topic in a little more depth.
See what sparks your interest and passion, and enjoy getting lit up! ❤️🔥
Have a plan B for what you’re going to do on days that your routine shifts that keep you in alignment with your goals.
That is.. decide what you’re going to do ahead of time when you start to feel unmotivated and uninspired (because that’s inevitably going to happen.)
Being prepared will help avoid that “running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off” kind of feeling.
Also, changing things up every once in a while can allow new ideas and insights to come in.
Remember, the unknown is where the magic happens.
It might even be a good idea to have a day during your week or a few days during the month dedicated on your calendar to not follow your routines and habits to the tee.
Instead, see it as “vacation time,” do what lights you up, follow your happy, and see how you can incorporate that into your plan.
After all, the most important thing is to enjoy the journey of life!
Stay frequent.
This might seem like it contradicts the above a tiny bit, but is a lot like staying flexible.
Hear me out.
When you’re not being 110% consistent or perfect with your tasks/habits, still flexing that muscle even just a little bit and even seeing it as training or practice will help you maintain that habit muscle strength and be better able to stay consistent in the future.
For example, your goal is to work out 45 minutes a day.Yesterday, you didn’t do a workout at all.
Maybe even the day before, you didn’t get to it either.
You’re wondering if it’s just too much and you can’t do it…
Still strive to meet that goal the next day anyway.
Stay frequent with going after it, even if a day or 2 was missed, and stay flexible by doing a even just a little bit of it.
The more reps you put in and end up doing overall, the more that muscle is growing.
Pick yourself up.
Training that muscle.
You’re still tending to your fire.
Also, it’s been said that sometimes when we don’t feel the inspiration to do the thing, a way to combat that is to get started, “do it anyway,” and go through the motions.
After getting started, inspiration is likely to get sparked along the way! 🧨
It’s just about getting the ball rolling to gain momentum, and then things feel much easier going from there.
Always be improving.
Something that always lights me up is improving myself and everything around me.
I love to find little ways that I can be doing something better and make it more easy and fun, as well as find ways to change up the environment to make things smoother, more beautiful, and more efficient.
This without a doubt helps stay consistent because improving whatever it is that you’re doing can help reduce the friction in doing it.
That is- eliminating resistance of doing the thing so that you’re more likely to get it done and in a way you might enjoy more.
A quick example is getting natural sunlight within 30-60 minutes of waking so that you set off the cycle of getting your cortisol up in the morning to be more alert during the day when you need to be and then better able to wind down when you need to at night for better quality sleep.This is an easy improvement to make in my morning routine.
After I’m done sipping on my coffee and journaling, I can open up the blinds and let the light in while I do my quick clean routine, then sit on the balcony a bit and water the plants 🌞
It’s just simple little tweaks that amp up our experience a tiny bit more 😄
Make the PROCESS enjoyable.
I saved the best for last.
This is how we stick with our tasks/habits for long periods of time and maintain the effort needed to accomplish our desired outcomes.
This part can be self explanatory, but read the next blog for a deeper dive!Here’s some of my quick tips:
Set the stage (your environment)
Pair your task with things you enjoy
Challenge yourself
Upgrade your experience
Anticipate the reward
Focus and be present (flow)
Keep playing and exploring
I hope you enjoyed the read!
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Stay fli ;)
Mel
