Now that we have clarity about what consistency demands from us, it’s time to put consistency into action, and of course the key to consistency comes in the form of proper preparation and focused attention.
Preparing Yourself for Consistent Action
Before you begin taking consistent action, it’s important that you mentally prepare yourself by first establishing a goal or objective that you would like to achieve. Ask yourself:
What goal would I like to achieve?
Now reverse engineer this goal by progressively moving from the end outcome to the present moment backward step-by-step. Really take a deep look at this goal to get an understanding of how all the steps and pieces came together over time. Once done, break this goal down into parts and outline specifically how you will work through each step. To help you with this process, ask yourself:
What do I need to do to achieve this goal?
What repetitive actions or activities are required?
What specific habits and/or rituals could I develop to support these actions?
When will I partake in these activities? How? When exactly? How often?
It’s important here to identify specific timeframes you will be working with that will keep you on track as you work toward the attainment of your goal. With timeframes in place you will work with more purpose and a sense of urgency. With no timeframes in place it will just be too easy to get sidetracked or distracted throughout this process.
You should now have a very clear idea of what exactly needs to happen in order to achieve your desired outcome. It’s now in your hands to follow through with these specific actions over an extended period of time to help you accomplish your goal.
There is however one additional question you need to be asking yourself. That question is:
What repetitive activities must I avoid doing?
Often it’s not only what we focus on or do that matters, it’s also what we avoid doing that makes all the difference in the end.
Have a think about all the various distractions and counterproductive tasks that could divert you from what’s most important. Often these tasks/activities are irrelevant and will end up hurting your productivity. In fact, often they are nothing more than poor excuses for indulging in procrastination.
Maintaining a Steady Focus
Having gained clarity about what it is you will be working toward, it’s now time to get to work. However, in order to stay consistent in your actions it’s critical that you maintain a steady focus. To maintain a steady focus you need to address the following three areas:
- Focus on what’s most important, not what’s fun, easy and/or convenient.
- Focus on one thing at a time, not on trying to multi-task.
- Focus on the execution of an activity, not on the desired outcome.
The overarching key here is of course simply to stay focused on what needs to get done without distraction. This is where your priorities must come into the spotlight. You must focus-in on the one most important thing you need to do at this moment that will help you in the long-run to accomplish your goal. However, this rarely as easy as it seems. It’s not easy because your brain will always be prone to getting caught up in distractions. It will always want to focus on what’s fun, easy and convenient. However, what’s fun, easy and convenient is probably not the most optimal use of your time.
It’s very likely that the activity you are trying to focus on can become a little tedious and boring. In such instances it’s critical that you focus on the execution of that activity. Focusing on the execution helps you stay focused with little chance for distraction.
We will typically get distracted and sidetracked when we look too far forward and tease our brains with other thoughts or things that need to get done. However, when you focus on the execution of an activity you are unlikely to fall into this trap because all your focus and attention is on what you’re doing right now in the moment. This moment is all that matters. Everything else just fades away into the background.
This kind of focus is of course not easy. It requires discipline on your part to maintain your focus over the long-term. To assist you with this focused-attention you may find it helpful to regularly ask yourself:
How must I think to stay focused?
Reminding yourself of this question will help you to stay focused on the execution of the task at hand. Afterall, everything you do always begins with a thought. Therefore if you are able to effectively direct your thoughts in an optimal way this will help you to stay focused on what needs to get done.
Now of course, at times you will naturally lose focus. Staying focused for extended periods at a time is not easy to do. At some stage you are bound to feel uncomfortable, however you must push through this discomfort and stay the course until your objective has been achieved.
Having said that, the key here to staying focused is to work in bursts. Focusing on something for several hours at a time without a mental and physical break is extremely taxing on the brain. As such, it’s important to introduce short breaks of only a few minutes in between your focus-time. This will effectively help you to recharge your batteries and allow you to refocus on your work when you begin again.
IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges. Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com