Consistency Checkpoint

Back in August Seth Godin posted one of his signature blog posts (URL). This entry touches on the concept of streaks being their own reward over time (think compounding affect). For example, it’s Seth’s 11th year in a row where he has posted daily posts on his blog. Given the quality and inspiration of his posts this is quite a feat. Yet the benefits that have come to Godin (and his audience) based on this consistency are immeasurable. I’ve only been a reader of his blog for approximately four years and have found it my favourite thing to read as part of my morning routine. Godin’s lesson in this post is to simply make a shift and keep consistent with a particular habit.

I thought about the consistent aspects of my life. I have made many changes and started new streaks in the last 5 years. When I stop and think about the roots of these changes they revolve around my core values. For example, traveling, learning/development, relationships and fulfilment. To make it real, here are some of the streaks I’ve started and maintained since that time:

• Read 300+ books
• Traveled to 25 new countries
• Journaling each day
• Read a single page from both “The Daily Drucker” and “The Daily Stoic” each day. Two books I would highly recommend in which you only need to read one page a day.
• Hitting the gym 3+ times a week for a weights workout or some form of cardio activity. On top of that I typically hit the gym in the morning just for a 30 minute fast walk and stretch to get myself going before starting my day.
• Intermittent fasting 90% of the time to keep my blood sugar and insulin levels low and most importantly to keep myself in good shape. This is both a longevity and vitality play.

The inflection point in my life was in early 2015 when I picked up the book “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. It changed my life as it demonstrated that establishing a daily habit and putting first things first is critical. Whether it is meditation, journaling, reading, exercise or even watching TV, I have developed a maintainable streak on the most important things each and every day. James Clear writes about the 1% rule which again touches on the concept of streaks and consistency. In fact, he has written a phenomenal book on the concept of habits (my review is here). Both books are worth reading if you want to make a significant changes to your life.

I continue to review my routines, streaks and consistent aspects of my life. I’m always measuring, refining and evolving what I do so that it continues to take me forwards rather than backwards. What streaks could you start today that would impact you today, tomorrow? Think about the compounding affect going into the future?