What makes success? Motivation - or consistency?

Start out fast – get a million things done. Then motivation slacks. And you stop going fast. Or you stop going all together.

No matter what goal you are trying to accomplish, starting out fast can make you fail. You can’t rely simply on motivation to get you through. You need consistency.

Because…

No matter how passionate you are about your business, we all get tired sometimes. And it’s ok to take a break. You just have to come back and keep going.

That is what consistency is.

Even in times of struggle, whether it is a private matter or business related, you need to keep showing up. Some days you will do more. And some days you will do less. But showing up every day, is what will ultimately make you successful.

Being consistent is hard. I struggle with it every day. When I first started out a few months ago my goals for each day were set high. And I accomplished them.

But as time went on. And life got in the way. My motivation slacked and I accomplished less each day. For periods of time, I would not work on my business at all.

I managed to get back in the game by lowering the expectations on myself. I still set high goals. But not as many at the same time.

When starting a new business, there is so much to do. And you want to do it all at once. Because you want to get it up and running. So you can start growing.

I learned that things take time. Starting a new business takes time. And you can’t do it all at once.

Some days, motivation will fail you. And then you need to have systems in place that will make you keep going. Habits that ensure you will show up and do something every day. Even if it is something small. Every step, no matter how small, will get you closer to your goal.

Everyone can have motivation. But not everyone will keep going when it gets tough.

Consistency, is what makes you successful.