the complete guide
The Consistency Trap
the truth about consistent habits
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Consistency = Growth
Habits come in many different shapes and sizes. There are good habits, bad habits, red habits, blue habits. No matter the type, the question people always ask is: how do I form habits? And the answer is almost always consistency.
“good habits, bad habits, red habits, blue habits”
But in reality it’s not so simple is it? Just ask anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking! Consistency is way too simple. Or is it? I would argue that consistency is the key. But how we use that key is the difficult part. Sometimes this is relatively simple:
If you want to build a habit of writing everyday, then simply start writing and be consistent at it
Other times consistency is a little more complex:
If you want to be a healthy person, then you should consistently go to the gym and consistently eat healthy
The consistency is hidden a little bit more in that one. The really neat thing about habits and consistency is that at some point when you are consistent enough, you can form involuntary habits.
As a silly example, think about breathing. I timed myself breathing at a normal rate for 30 seconds and I took about 7 breaths. That means in an average week I am taking 141 thousand breaths of air! In my lifetime I have taken roughly 146 million breaths of air! Now, that is pretty darn consistent! Breathing is the greatest involuntary consistency we do. (Aside from the heart beat I guess).
I realize breathing is just a bodily function, but why can’t I be that consistent with habits in other parts of my life too? Can I put that same kind of urgency towards things I want to get better at? An urgency that would literally feel like drowning if I went a day without writing? I believe I can! But this comes with a heavy price.
