How to Be Consistent

Whether you’re an employee, a manager, or CEO of a company, your value is ultimately based on your perceived potential. In other words, what can you accomplish tomorrow? Next month? Next year? How productive will you be in the future?

One of the best characteristics for anyone to have in their professional or personal life is…CONSISTENCY!

Consistency? Huh?

Let’s answer that question with a question. Which worker is preferable; the one that occasionally pulls off outstanding work but mostly phones it in ¾ of the time? Or the worker that puts in effort and cranks out results every single day?

Obviously, the latter is the more enticing employee. Why? Because they’re consistent!

Most people can have one good meeting, one good presentation or conference. Most people can conjure excellence every now and again. But doing so consistently illustrates something special, something valuable for employers and employees alike.

This is all the more apparent in recent years, when turnover remains high at many workplaces. Employers are trying harder than ever to retain workers by providing a positive employee experience that better supports them in their roles. This investment is expected to result in mutual benefit for both the employee and employer. An employee who is consistent is comfortable with their responsibilities, adept at navigating obstacles, and demonstrates value as a long-term reliable employee.

To employers, consistency is a long-term promise. It spells dependability and longevity.

To employees, consistency is a path to trust, which leads to opportunity.

So…if you’re not naturally consistent…how can you become MORE consistent?

Isolate One Goal at a Time

If you look at a brick wall and try to build a new one all at once, you’ll not only quickly exhaust yourself, but you’ll also have a pretty shoddy wall. Take things one brick at a time. Don’t make the process even more challenging by trying to do too much all at once.

What’s your biggest issue? Lateness? Laziness? Rushing through projects? Start there. Work at it. Stabilize. Then move on to your next goal.

Focus on Incremental Improvement

Good habits aren’t made overnight. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Our minds simply don’t work that way. In fact, research has shown that it could take months to permanently change your behavior. That’s a lot of patience, focus, and work.

Work towards improving a little bit at a time. Allow yourself to notice and celebrate the small wins you achieve along the way, and don’t beat yourself up over temporary setbacks.

Your Brain Might Not Be on Your Side

If you have a warm safe home and food in your belly, it’s easy to be content. Not only easy; we’re genetically predisposed to it. In the same way our bodies fight losing weight because they still retain our caveman DNA instinct to store up fat for warmth, our brains fight to retain their typical patterns. Unless accompanied by short-term rewards, long-term changes and extra work can be draining on mind and spirit.

Much like it can be a trudge forcing yourself onto a treadmill to achieve long-term goals, applying yourself to becoming a better employee is an uphill battle that challenges our minds and bodies.

Just remember as you soldier through: it’s worth it.

Forgive Your Failures.

Nobody ever succeeded by over-focusing on their failures. As you pursue your consistency goals, you will get tired, you will phone it in, you will miss a deadline. Whatever your goal may be, you’re bound to misstep from time to time – and that’s okay.

Temporary failure is inherent in any great goal. It is better to slip 30 times and get back up 30 times than to fall down and concede defeat.

What separates top performers from everyone else is that they get back on track quickly.

Forgive your failures and keep moving forward. What else can you do?

You’ve Got All the Tools You Need Now

• Consistency breeds trust, especially at work.
• Consistent employees are dependable and predictable, comforting to managers and colleagues and customers alike.
• Take on improvements and goals a little at a time. You’re a work of art; be patient with the artist.
• Fight through the hard times and GET. BACK. UP.

Consistency won’t carry you to achieve every goal you attempt. But it is a critical boost that will carry you further and give you a better chance of success. Start learning consistency today, and become a better, more reliable YOU.

A positive employee experience can make all the difference in your workforce. We help organizations better serve the well-being of their workers, while improving their operations. Learn more on our Modern Workforce Management Hub.