Consistency

If you only do something when you feel like it, it is very unlikely that you will obtain the results you are seeking. Feelings are important. Feelings can be acknowledged and worked through. But feelings are a luxury when it comes to acting responsibly, staying consistent with your values, and doing what you need to do in order to make progress towards our goals.

Not doing the (often obvious) thing you know you need to do in order to be successful in the long-term rarely harms you immediately. You may downplay the importance of the action, justifying your own self-deception and negligence. 

Most people make the right decisions most of the time. But most of the time is not all of the time and the less consistent we are, the more we erode our progress. Small actions may seem small, but they compound over time. A lack of consistency is often the only thing that differentiates those who succeed in achieving their goals, to those who fall short, give up, or keep trying yet fail to make much forward movement. Challenging yourself to follow through even and especially when things are tough, or you want to make excuses is indispensable. 

Short-term and fleeting fulfillment come from doing what feels safe and comfortable in the moment. Long-term and lasting fulfillment come from consistency.  

I show up and do what I know I need to do in order to further my goals. I regularly check in with myself by asking myself: What am I doing? How am I doing it? Why am I doing it? I remind myself that success is almost never simply an accident and that failure is usually not just bad luck.