consistently, inconsistent

Why can’t I stay consistent with my morning workouts, my writing, budgeting, and actually finishing a book (before starting a new one)? I start and stop, then rinse and repeat. The books pile up on my nightstand, but yet I keep wanting to buy more. I sign up for this fitness app, and then never use it. I keep all my receipts to enter into my excel doc, but then get overwhelmed and throw them all out at the end of the week.

I wonder why I struggle to stay consistent. If I’m being honest, the thought crosses my mind at least once a day. I have everything I need to do those things and more! What can I do to kick my butt into action? Do I really need another “xyz” ? The answer is no.

I’ve read articles on building habits, and I’ve read that the best way to do it is to start one routine at a time. “Mastering” that one habit before moving on to the next.

Okay, I’ll give that a try. So I downloaded Duolingo, because besides being a mom, pharmacist, writer, and, more importantly, a good human. I should certainly be learning a new language, right?

But here is the most shocking discovery! The app has a “daily streak,” which tracks how many days you have completed a lesson! And if you miss one day, it resets! And it send you reminders, so that you stay on track. As we shut off the lights for the night I show my husband my streak “25 days in a row”. And it’s honestly working, I am learning words, remembering tenses, getting enough questions right to continue on with the free edition.

Maybe this is what I’ve needed all along. I call this accountability. I will show up every day, even late at night, to complete the lesson and move one day closer to what? I don’t know. I don’t know if there is some prize or award. But this type of system works for me!

This “streak” feature makes me wonder if I could incorporate this tracking system into my life in other ways to stay consistent.