How to stay consistent and show up even on days you don't feel like it.
If you want to build a business and life of your dreams, then consistency is Queen B!
Let me be honest about crappy days with you: These are the days you don’t feel like doing things you need to be doing.
And, when you give into this feeling you find it’s easier to not take action - but the stagnation and frustration that follows isn’t serving anyone either. This is when most of us end up losing the momentum we build or need to be building in our businesses and ambitious goals.
So, how do you stay consistent and stay on track even on days when your external life isn’t cooperating?
Showing up is easy when you’re feeling your best, but it counts the most on days when you don’t feel like it.
For the sake of emphasis, I need to say this one more time:
Consistency is key to your success.
If you’re like most people, then on days when life hits you with a hard one, you probably struggle to stay consistent. We are emotional beings after all, and how you feel can really dictate the actions you take - or, the ones you don’t take. At a primitive level, this is a survival reaction by your brain to protect you from the perceived danger; orchestrated by your emotional reactions to life.
Staying consistent during these times is important. I find this is half ( if not more) the battle in creating momentum and results in your business.
A way forward with a simple practice:
So today, I’ll share a practice that’s super helpful in switching your emotional frequency from negative to the positive. The point is not to ignore how you feel, but rather to acknowledge how you humanly feel, and then giving your emotional domain a conscious and useful direction to take vs. a reactive one.
One of the best ways to create this conscious direction is to cultivate appreciation in the present moment.
Appreciation is a super emotion.
Appreciation, the super emotion that can change the trajectory of even a shitty day. Feeling this emotion sincerely, can significantly lift your spirits and help you remember things are not as bad as they might appear in your head.
Make appreciation a part of your morning coffee.
With your sips of coffee or tea in the mornings - or, whenever you start your day - anchor yourself into appreciation for the things and people around you. Be deliberate in cultivating more appreciation today. Find something to feel appreciation for; whether that’s a situation in your business, a relationship with your team, your community, your prospects, or even for your own ability to have and run a business.
Start with finding just one thing you appreciate about everything and everyone you come across today.
Tip: Get a notebook, where you can write it down whenever you feel emotional distractions coming up to distract you from your path.
There is always something to appreciate in the here and now - look for it deliberately.
There will always be difficult people and difficult situations, but if you can find something to appreciate in the difficulty, you can change the direction of your day into a better more purposeful one.
This also helps plug in those unnecessary mental and emotional energy leaks that can occur due to circumstances outside your control.
When you decide and act from a place of feeling a positive; high vibrational emotion like appreciation - especially during a challenging situation - you create higher outcomes, plus:
Your perceptions are sharper.
Your decisions are more precise.
Your behaviour is always in alignment.
Your actions are consistent.
Use appreciation for all experiences regardless of good or bad as a fuel for consistency.
Changing your brain and creating new patterns.
A conscious practice like this teaches your brain to change its wiring and create newer patterns. So, by changing the direction of your emotional domain, you are creating newer memories for your brain by acting differently in the similar challenges.
The key is to be sincere in your intentions.
Life is highly susceptible to authentic; sincere; positive vibes. So, whenever you try a practice like this, try to do it as sincerely as possible. You don’t need to do this forcefully. Just taking small steps and building it over time works great. This is why I always encourage to pick one simple thing in a day, in a situation, or a relationship.
Take note of how creating shifts like this feels in your mind, body, and energy.
I am always happy to connect with those who want to learn practical and sustainable ways to deal with difficult life and business situations. If this rings true to you, please reach out and write to me about it or join my online community here.
Join The Liberated Entrepreneur here - My online community.
Harjot Mann, MD
Mindset & Leadership Coach