It used to be hard to find out HOW to do something (e.g. get fit, find a job, write a book) but in this day and age, information and people who have already done it are easier to find and connect with than any time in our history.

Today, learning the steps to success is usually fairly accessible.

But what stops us from taking the necessary action, and do that consistently is the real challenge.

We know that even the best strategy and best of intentions don’t always lead to success.

We also know there are many things we humans do, that are completely within our control, which significantly reduce our chances of achieving what we want.

We call these the Four Killers of Consistent Action and most people usually have one dominant or default response to a new challenge or opportunity that slows or prevents their success.

1. Over-eagerness

The over-eager one expects and demands themself to produce results NOW! They start with a flurry of excited activity often thinking that going harder and faster will make it happen more quickly.

But instead this fuels impatience, inner conflict and usually leads to burnout or frustration when those results don’t come immediately and continuously.

They are left disillusioned and disheartened and soon turn to a new project or seek the comfort of distractions and rarely see things to completion.

2. Overwhelmed

This type tends to quickly get to a state of overwhelm when faced with a new project or goal. They either don’t know where to start or can feel there is so much that needs to be done it’s like climbing a big mountain and find themselves start questioning if it’s worth the effort.

This is turn leads to constantly revising the to-do list, checking emails looking for additional tasks to organise and not making any meaningful progress. Alternatively, they end up extremely reactive with their attention and time being pulled in many directions, confusing activity with productivity.

They are left stressed, confused and dis-empowered on how to regain clarity.

3. Over-worrying

For some, the action-stopper comes from putting more effort into worrying about future problems or scenarios, than on first steps to making progress.

This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as the story builds on what can go wrong, what others need to do for them and many factors outside their control.

All of which leads to worry about things that are days, weeks or months ahead and they lose focus on the first few steps needed to build momentum and adapt as they go.

4. Over-reacting

Achievement is rarely experienced exactly according to the original plan. Even for the most successful companies in the world like Apple, Google, Starbucks, and Facebook, what drives their success today is a far cry from their initial business plan.

But for many, the first sign of not getting the desired results is interpreted as failure, and as a reason not to push forward.

Even the personal little things like falling behind on progress, incomplete to-do’s, interruptions and distractions are treated as major issues.

Which leads to disappointment and feelings of discontent and unfortunately, often a conclusion that the desired outcome “is impossible!”

 

Do you recognise yourself in some of these response types? In one more than others?

When you can identify your killer of consistent action – with accuracy and precision – you now know the most important problem to solve. Develop a better approach to controlling the things you can and you’ll have more energy, sustained enthusiasm to make consistent progress as you climb that mountain to your prized destination.

It is always worth the journey.

Let us know what your default response is. In an upcoming podcast or blog we’ll provide practical actions and proven strategies to breakdown your old habit and replace it with consistent action.