Episode 676: 5 Steps to Build Consistency in Your Habits for Long-Term Success (Mindset & Self-Care)

EBT676 – 5 Steps to Build Consistency in Your Habits for Long-Term Success

Intro  00:01

Hey food bloggers. Thank you so much for joining me in this mindset and self-care focused episode here on Eat Blog Talk. One of the reasons I started a blog talk was to hold a space to talk about the importance of mindset and self-care. Being an entrepreneur can be a lot. If we are not taking care of ourselves, then getting actionable information about SEO Pinterest or whatever else is all moot. I will meet you back here every Wednesday to discuss various mindset and self-care topics. So you have the energy and space to tackle the rest.

Hello food bloggers. Welcome to this self care and mindset focused episode of Eat Blog Talk. Thank you for listening and joining me today. In today’s episode we’re going to talk about five steps to build consistency in your habits for long term success.

[00:00:48]   

 This might be my absolute favorite topic of all time. There is so much power in being consistent with your habits. Not perfect, not overly ambitious, but consistent. I just finished the book Badass Habits by Jen Sincero last night and there was this part that I read that actually made me stop in my tracks.

[00:01:11]   

 You know when that happens, you read a line and it just settles in your soul somehow and you stop and reread it like five times. This is what happened to me with this line and I want to read it to you because it relates to this. It is quote forming good habits isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being more of who you are.

[00:01:32]   

 End quote. And wow, this just gives me so much permission to let perfection go when it comes to establishing those good habits and to just trust the process and know that it is working and that by being consistent with my habits I am able to be more of who I am. I love that line so much.

[00:02:00]   

 A habit that is performed consistently for literally one minute a day for an entire year is better than something you do super hardcore for a month and then sporadically for a while. Then it dies off because you were way too ambitious and you burned out and then you eventually quit. Ultimately, if you want to achieve long term success, and I’m pretty sure everyone listening wants this, that’s why you’re here.

[00:02:26]   

 That’s why you’re showing up. Being consistent with your habits is supremely important. I have talked a lot about my recent sickness, so sorry that keeps coming up and how it took me out. I’m talking unable to move from my bed for days on end, not able to sit at my desk to work, taking 500 steps or less a day just to get to the bathroom and back to bed.

[00:02:50]   

 A few times. This sickness was epic. I have this whiteboard in our workout room where I track my workouts, my sick days, and the number of steps I walk every day. So during this stretch of sickness, I logged 14 days in a row of sickness. 14 little sad faces on my whiteboard. If I hadn’t been consistent with certain habits of my life prior to getting sick, that stretch of illness would have completely sunk me.

[00:03:20]   

 I would have never bounced back so quickly with a handful of things that I had set in motion prior to getting sick. But because I’ve been consistent with working out and walking and meditating and daily gratitude, I didn’t skip a beat with getting back into these habits. Five years ago, this would not have happened because at that point I was not consistent with the habits that served me and added value to my life.

[00:03:44]   

 Even when you’re not seeing the results of consistency in the moment with them, they are working magic behind the scenes. You have to trust this process. Every single time you show up, you are improving a future version of yourself. That is such a cool idea and I hope you cling to that as you try to establish some new good habits.

[00:04:03]   

 So let’s talk through five steps to build consistency in your habits for long-term success.

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[00:04:31]  Megan Porta 

 Number one, Start small and build gradually. The number one thing that can derail your success with the habits you are trying to establish in your life is not doing them, it’s giving up before you have an opportunity to really establish the habits and make them part of who you are. The solution for this is starting very, very small with the habits you want to build and gradually building on them.

[00:04:56]   

 Trying to overhaul everything at once is honestly a recipe for disaster. Start with small, manageable bite size habits. This is essential to building lasting consistency. I’ve done this wrong so many times, you guys, and maybe you have too. In the past I’ve felt that huge desire of motivation to just get going with my new habits already.

[00:05:21]   

 So I implement everything all at once in a way that I’d love to be in an ideal world, but it’s too much too soon and it’s not sustainable. When you start small though, and build gradually, that is sustainable and this will help those habits to really settle into your system so they become part of who you are instead of something you’re just trying to fake.

[00:05:44]   

 I have a few tips for you on this point. Focus on one habit at a time. So starting with one small, teeny tiny habit is going to allow you to dedicate your energy to mastering it before you add more. Trying to juggle multiple habits at once, like I’ve done so many times, can lead to overwhelm and burnout and quitting.

[00:06:08]   

 So pick one habit that you can focus on for a couple of weeks. Whether it’s just getting up earlier in the morning or drinking more water throughout the day, or exercising for 10 minutes to start your day. Do that for a couple of weeks and once that habit is consistent, move on to the next one.

[00:06:26]   

 Tip two for starting small and building gradually is: Set tiny achievable goals. Setting small again small achievable goals makes it so much easier to succeed and carry that momentum with you. When the goal feels manageable, it’s much easier to stay committed to it. So start with goals that are incredibly simple. For example, instead of saying I’m going to work out for an hour every day, try I will do a 10 minute workout today and then gradually increase your goal as you become more comfortable.

[00:07:02]   

 Third tip for starting small is make it so easy you cannot say no. The key to building consistency is making your habit so easy that there is absolutely no reason not to do it. Make the habit almost automatic so you don’t have to think twice about it. For example, if you want to read more, keep a book by your bed and commit to reading one page a night.

[00:07:27]   

 Eventually this is going to grow into a longer reading session, two pages and three, maybe up to five. But starting small removes your excuses. Anyone can sit in bed at the end of the day and read one page. The fourth tip for starting small is to build on successes gradually. As you start mastering those small habits that you’re setting, slowly increase their difficulty or their duration.

[00:07:53]   

 This gradual approach will make sure you don’t burn out and it will keep the habit manageable. After a week or so of exercising for 10 minutes, try going up to 15 minutes and then 20 minutes until it becomes a regular part of your day. Each increase will make the habit feel like a natural progression instead of something that’s super overwhelming.

[00:08:16]   

 And the last tip to support this starting small and building gradually is to celebrate each small win. Celebrating the small wins reinforces the positive behaviors and it’s going to give you a sense of accomplishment which will keep you motivated so you continue to build your habits. I recommend sitting down at the end of each week and reflecting on what you’ve accomplished.

[00:08:39]   

 No matter how small, celebrate the fact that you stayed consistent with your habit and use that momentum to move on to the next phase of your growth, whatever that might be. Okay, Number two, the second step to building consistency in your habits for long term success is making habits non negotiable. Especially when you’re starting really small with a habit, it’s easy to establish them as non negotiable.

[00:09:04]   

 Just get it in your mind that there’s no other option for you. This small habit is happening. It’s just the way it is. The more days that pile up having done this habit, they matter. So pile up those days of habit doing and before you know it you will be ready to expand on them.

[00:09:21]   

 If you show up uncommitted, willy nilly performing your habit here and there when you feel like it, this will not set you up for success. If you decide to start small to create a habit of working out regularly, maybe you commit to, like we’ve been saying, a 10 minute workout each morning to start.

[00:09:38]   

 Anyone can show up for a 10 minute workout every day. Decide that this is who you are. You are a person who works out for at least 10 minutes a day no matter what. Treat this new decision with respect and keep showing up for it. This will ensure that this new habit is a priority and that it becomes ingrained in your soul.

[00:10:02]   

 That is what you want. Some tips for making habits non negotiable one. Set clear, firm commitments. Make your habit a priority by fully committing to it. When you treat your habit as a non negotiable part of your day, you take the pressure off yourself which feels so good and you create clarity around your expectations.

[00:10:21]   

 Instead of saying I’ll try to work out tomorrow, it’s just not going to work out today, I am going to work out for 10 minutes no matter what. When you make that clear decision, it removes the need for negotiation with yourself. I don’t know about you, but self negotiations can take up so much energy for me.

[00:10:39]   

 The second tip for making your habits non negotiable. Attach a positive identity to your habit. So align your habit with a positive aspect of your identity. This will reinforce that the habit is a reflection of who you are, not something that you have to force. You can say to yourself, a person who works out every day.

[00:11:00]   

 The more you identify with this belief, the less you will entertain excuses or doubts and your habits will become a natural part of your identity. Tip number three for making Habits non Negotiable Build consistency with no excuses. Once you have made your habit non negotiable, show up every day without exception. Even if it feels inconvenient, you need to follow through in order to keep that momentum going.

[00:11:28]   

 You can set a small daily goal such as working out for 10 minutes and treat it like a non negotiable appointment. Do not allow anything to interrupt your commitment, not even a busy schedule or feeling tired at the end of the day. No excuses. The fourth tip for making your habits non negotiable make your habit a non optional part of your routine.

[00:11:51]   

 Embed your habit into your daily routine at a specific time and place so it becomes automatic. The more you integrate it into your life, the less resistance you’re going to feel. Choose a time of day that’s most convenient for your habit, such as first thing in the morning or right before bed. Treat this time as if it’s sacred.

[00:12:11]   

 Nothing should take priority over this non negotiable habit. And the last tip for making your habits non negotiable, track your progress and stay accountable. Tracking your habit helps to reinforce its non negotiable state and it will also build accountability. Just the act of marking off each day strengthens that commitment that you made to the habit and it will make it easier to stay consistent with it.

[00:12:37]   

 You can use a habit tracker or a journal to mark your daily progress. Sometimes I like to visualize my streak of days that I’ve completed a habit before they’ve even happened and this really encourages and motivates me. The third step to building consistency in your habits for long term success is to track your progress and celebrate small wins.

[00:13:00]   

 Do not underestimate this point. I swear that tracking my progress with my habits has played a huge role in my success in keeping up with them. Progress tracking holds a ton of power for my workouts and my steps that I mentioned. I track everything I do in eight week increments on a whiteboard in our workout room.

[00:13:21]   

 After each eight week stretch is done, I log those stats so I can see the bits of progress I’ve made over time. This is hugely motivating. I’m looking at my stats right now and I can see that for my previous eight week stretch I walked an average of just over 8,000 steps a day.

[00:13:40]   

 For the eight week period I just finished, my steps increased to just under 10,000 steps a day on average. This is awesome. This keeps me going and this keeps me stepping and wanting to increase that average. Doing this reinforces the importance of consistency when you’re establishing good habits I have a few tips for you for tracking your progress and celebrating small wins.

[00:14:03]   

 The first one is to use a visual tracker. Visual tracking can be so motivating, like I’ve mentioned, because you can literally see your progress right in front of you. Whether it’s a whiteboard, a wall chart, an app, or just a piece of paper, seeing your achievements helps to reinforce your commitment to the habit.

[00:14:22]   

 Create whatever tracker works for you that you can update daily, preferably or weekly. Use it to track anything from your workouts to your steps or whatever else you are trying to accomplish and celebrate the milestones you hit along the way. The visual representation of it makes progress feel real and very rewarding. The second tip for tracking your progress and celebrating wins is to set short term goals to celebrate regular wins.

[00:14:51]   

 Setting short term goals gives you regular opportunities to celebrate. It’s so easy to get discouraged when you’re looking only at the long term big picture. So breaking your goal into small achievable milestones makes it so much easier to stay motivated. If your long term goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day consistently for a set number of time, set a smaller goal of achieving 5,000 steps a day for the first few weeks.

[00:15:22]   

 Once you hit that, celebrate it. It’s worth celebrating. By regularly celebrating those smaller wins, you’re maintaining the momentum for that bigger goal. The third tip for tracking your progress and celebrating small wins is to reflect on your progress regularly. Take the time to pause and reflect on how far you’ve come. This is such a powerful way to reinforce your commitment to your habits.

[00:15:47]   

 That reflection is going to allow you to appreciate all the hard work you’ve put in and to see the tangible results of your efforts. At the end of each week or month, review your progress and note how much you’ve accomplished. For example, looking at your weekly steps or maybe the weight you lifted in your workouts shows growth over time, making that effort feel so much more rewarding.

[00:16:12]   

 Tip number four for tracking progress and celebrating wins is Celebrate progress, not perfection. It’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting for perfection before you celebrate. Instead, focus on celebrating any progress, no matter how small. Every step forward is an achievement and it deserves recognition. Celebrate your progress by treating yourself to something special when you hit a milestone.

[00:16:40]   

 This could be a small reward like taking a relaxing bath in the evening, taking a day off of work, treating yourself to a massage or a manicure or pedicure, taking yourself out to lunch. Or maybe it’s something you’ve been wanting to buy for yourself. Recognizing progress builds positive reinforcement for your habits and the last tip for tracking your progress and celebrating small wins is use your stats as motivation, not comparison.

[00:17:10]   

 Stats and numbers can be a great motivator when you use them to track your progress, but make sure they’re used as personal markers of success rather than comparisons to others. When tracking your habits, avoid comparing your stats to anyone else’s. Instead, just focus on your own improvements and how you’ve progressed from your starting point.

[00:17:33]   

 If you’ve increased your steps or workout duration, celebrate that personal achievement rather than measuring yourself against anyone else. Step number four to build consistency in your habits for long term success is to stay committed even when results are not immediate. I love the story and illustration that goes along with it about the dude, the human whatever, who is digging for gold and gets tired of not finding the gold, so he or she gives up.

[00:18:05]   

 When illustrated, you can see that this person gave up digging mere feet from the gold. Maybe even inches. If only they kept going. This is the same story with our habits. Sometimes it feels like all the consistent work we’re putting in is not getting us anywhere. What’s the point? I can’t see any progress being made.

[00:18:27]   

 Where are my efforts actually going? I may as well give up. So we throw in the towel, but progress is being made behind the scenes. It might just be too minute to see it on a daily basis. It’s like when we set out to lose a few pounds and we’re consistently making good choices with what we eat.

[00:18:46]   

 We’re going to the gym regularly, we’re doing all the right things. After a few weeks. There’s no physical evidence that things are actually working, but they are. We’re on the verge of a breakthrough that can be seen. We just have to stick with it and have a little bit more patience. This applies to all habits.

[00:19:04]   

 Just because you can’t see the progress doesn’t mean it’s not happening. It is happening. Trust the process do your very best not to feel discouraged when you don’t see instant results. Keep going. Here are a few tips for staying committed when those results aren’t immediate. Trust the process and focus on effort, not results.

[00:19:27]   

 Often the results of your efforts are not immediately visible, but that doesn’t mean they’re not working. It’s essential to focus on the actions you’re taking and not get hyper focused on those results. Try shifting your mindset from results oriented thinking to effort based thinking. Celebrate the fact that you’re showing up and trust that the results will come in time.

[00:19:48]   

 Even if you can’t see them yet. Tip number two for staying committed Break Long term Goals into Smaller Wins. Sometimes long term goals can feel so overwhelming because the payoff seems so far away. By breaking your goals into smaller, more achievable steps, you can stay motivated while making progress no matter how small.

[00:20:09]   

 If you’re working on a weight loss goal, instead of focusing just on the end goal of losing 20 pounds, focus on weekly milestones instead, like sticking to your healthy eating plan or increasing your steps. These small wins will help you carry that momentum and keep you on track. The third tip for staying committed even when results aren’t immediate is to reflect on how far you’ve come.

[00:20:34]   

 It’s so easy to get discouraged when progress isn’t immediately visible, right? So it’s helpful to look back and acknowledge how far you’ve come. Even small changes are worth celebrating. This is where that logging comes in really handy. So whether you do it on a whiteboard or maybe a journal, log your habits and your progress and regularly review it to see how much progress you’ve made.

[00:20:58]   

 Even if you can’t see drastic changes day to day or week to week, looking back over the span of a few weeks or months can reveal significant growth. The fourth tip for staying committed even when results aren’t immediate is to remind yourself of the bigger picture. When you are feeling discouraged by slow progress, it’s helpful to reconnect with that bigger picture of why you started in the first place.

[00:21:25]   

 Remembering your why can reignite your motivation. Write down your why. Keep it somewhere visible. This could be a big goal that you have long term, or maybe there’s a reason behind why you’re trying to establish these habits in the first place. Look at your bigger purpose and this can help to reignite your commitment during times when progress feels really slow.

[00:21:47]   

 And the last tip for staying committed even when results aren’t immediate is to practice patience and self compassion. As you know, change takes time and practicing patience with yourself is so important to staying committed to the habit. Don’t be hard on yourself if the results feel slow. It’s part of the journey. Instead of feeling frustrated with yourself or the process, practice self love.

[00:22:12]   

 Acknowledge that you are doing your best and that progress takes time. If you experience a hiccup or a setback, forgive yourself. Get back to your habits the next day and just know that that consistency is going to pay off in the long run. And the last and fifth step to build consistency in your habits for long term success is to adjust and adapt when necessary.

[00:22:39]   

 This point is key and so very, very important because life is life. Disruptions happen, people get sick. There are things that can take you out of the game when it comes to being consistent with your habits. When I was sick recently, there was an almost two week stretch when working out would have been very bad for me to attempt.

[00:23:00]   

 Did I want to continue being consistent with my habit of working out? Yes. Did I have a choice? Nope. So I adapted. I set the workouts aside for a period of time and I adjusted my workout expectations as I got back into them once I started feeling better. If life throws you a curveball of some sort while you are establishing a new habit, don’t give up on it.

[00:23:22]   

 Simply adapt and adjust as needed. Flexibility is key in maintaining habits long term. I have five tips for you to support adjusting and adapting when necessary. One is recognizing that life happens sometimes. Like I said, life just throws unexpected challenges our way. Whether it’s illness, family issues, other setbacks. You know how this goes.

[00:23:46]   

 This is life. It’s so important to recognize that disruptions are a normal part of life and they don’t have to derail you from your progress. Instead of seeing a setback as a failure, acknowledge that it’s just a temporary disruption. Embrace the reality that life is unpredictable. We all know this and allow yourself grace when things change.

[00:24:08]   

 Adapt, but keep your eye on the bigger picture always. The second tip for adjusting and adapting when necessary is to be flexible with your expectations. Yes, consistency is important, but being too rigid can set you up for failure and disappointment. Flexibility with your goals and expectations is really important when things don’t go as planned.

[00:24:31]   

 If your usual workout routine is not possible due to illness or other factors, don’t abandon it. Adjust your expectations to fit your situation, such as maybe doing shorter workouts instead or focusing on the rest you need for a period of time. Be kind to yourself when you are adjusting your habits. The third tip for adjusting and adapting when necessary is to shift your focus.

[00:24:57]   

 Instead of giving up when your habit becomes temporarily disrupted, shift your focus to another aspect of your routine that you can control. This keeps you engaged and moving forward even if it is in a different direction than you imagined. If you can’t stick to your regular exercise routine, focus on your eating habits or maybe your sleep schedule or journaling a little bit more than you normally do or reading.

[00:25:23]   

 Continuing to engage with some sort of self care or productivity will keep you aligned with your bigger goals. The fourth tip for adjusting and adapting when necessary is to set new short term goals during setbacks. When you face a setback Recalibrate your goals to make them more achievable given your current situation. Setting small, attainable goals during disruptions will help you to maintain a sense of accomplishment.

[00:25:51]   

 If you’re sick and you can’t do your normal workout, set a goal to take a short walk every day or stretch for five to 10 minutes. These small actions will keep you engaged with your habits and help to maintain your consistency even if those bigger goals are on hold temporarily. And the last tip for adjusting and adapting when necessary is to embrace the reset as part of your journey.

[00:26:16]   

 A reset doesn’t mean starting over completely, it’s just part of the process. Use disruptions as opportunities to reflect on your habits, reassess your priorities and move forward with a new energy. After a break or a disruption, take a moment to evaluate what went well before the setback and what needs to be changed or tweaked.

[00:26:39]   

 Use this time to recalibrate and recommit to your habits in a way that feels sustainable. A reset can be a very powerful way to refocus and keep going on your journey. That is all I have for you. I hope you enjoyed this. Let’s recap the five steps to build consistency in your habits for long term success.

[00:27:02]   

 Start small and build gradually 2. Make habits non negotiable 3. Track progress and celebrate small wins 4. Stay committed even when results aren’t immediate and 5 Adjust and adapt as necessary. Building consistency takes time. Be patient with it. Trust the process, trust the journey because consistency is the foundation for long term success.

[00:27:26]   

 Whatever habits you want to implement in your life, I encourage you to take action with them and just start building on them consistently every day. Even if it means starting super small. Don’t discount those little steps. Every teeny tiny step counts. So start and keep taking them and before you know it you will be crushing your habits.

[00:27:48]   

 You have got this. Thank you so much for listening. I loved putting this episode together. I hope you enjoyed listening to it. I will see you back here next week. Bye everyone. 

Outro 

Thank you so much for listening to this mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. If you are a food blogger providing a service for other food bloggers, and you want to spread the word about the value that you offer. I would love to offer you a free way to do just this. Send me a 60 second audio clip to be featured in a mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. Go to eatblogtalk.com/audioclip to learn more.