Consistency

      Ugh.  Consistency, which I am going to define as actually following through with the things you want to do for long term, can be tough.  The first day or second day of something usually isn't that hard.  The eighth day though can be harder.  By the time you get to the fifteenth, the fortieth, the thousandth?  Those can be harder still (sometimes it may get easier, but that is another blog post).  I really like the results that working out gets me, but to do it over and over and over.  Wouldn't it be great if you could work out for one big huge chunk and be covered for the month?  I would love it.  But, it doesn't work like that.  You have to do it multiple times a week, every week to stay healthy and fit. And so it goes for anything that you want to see a change with.  You know you want the result, but to do it every day?  You need to actually do little changes over and over to see the change you want to. 
     Or if I could brush my teeth for a really long time and not worry about it for a while.  It would take one more thing off of my daily to-do list.  But, that would be gross.  My teeth would get all nasty and rotting.  That's how our finances would get if we did a budget once a year and then thought that would get us through.  Nope.  We have a different budget for every month because every month is different.  I don't want to have yucky teeth and I don't want to have yucky finances.  Consistency.  Actually following through with the plan that we make.  That's how we got out of debt.  It was hard sometimes, for sure, but now I am glad we did stay consistent. 
     I know if I actually put my baby girl on the potty every two hours, consistently, we would have almost no Pull-Up accidents.  I don't though.  I don't follow through.  I get busy, distracted.  That's how other areas of life are.  I want to do a Beth Moore Bible Study lesson every day right now, but I don't.  And sometimes that leads to spiritual "accidents."  I don't have the patience that I should with my kids; I don't love that person the way I should; I do not show God's joy to everyone around me.  I am studying the Fruit of the Spirit, so I know that God is using the study to give me more of Him and His Fruit.  But I have to put in the work.  If we are supposed to be doing something consistently, then we need to do it or we might not get the results we want.  Consistency.  It seems like the word shouldn't hold so much power, but it does.  If we can see consistency in our lives heading toward our goals, we will accomplish them.  If we see that we are consistently NOT going toward our goals, we will not accomplish them. 
     When I am having a hard time being consistent with something, lately I have been asking myself, "Why?"  Do I REALLY want _____?  If not, then let it go.  If I do, though, I am trying to figure out ways to work in consistency in my life.  Join me.  Figure out the things you REALLY want and then try to build ways into your day to make them happen.  Thanks for reading.  :-)