The Consistency You Are Looking For

We are a problem-solving society. And so, we take the framework of life and turn it into a tool to solve our problems. We see a symptom here and we treat it. And then another pops up. I had a college student over Christmas break tell me she was anxious because she had nothing to be anxious about. She was anxious about her lack of anxiety!

We’re addicted to drama. We secretly love it when things go awry. It gives us something to do. Something to gossip about. Something to focus on.

Of course, this has its limits. We also hate how hard things are. We hate the addiction, and that we jump from one problem to the next. What we truly long for is peace and consistency. A Transcendent Life.

The Five Pillars

The truth is consistency does not happen by accident. If we focus on problem solving, we will focus on problems. We have to create consistency. It is an act of intention.

Addressing problems is kind of like spinning plates. As soon as one seems to be going well, we remember there are others, turn to look, and notice they are perilously wobbly.

There are six pillars to a consistent life – physical, financial, social, mental/emotional, family/team, and spiritual. If you want to live a consistent life, you have to be consistently intentional about each pillar. If you wait for them to start wobbling, you’ll be chasing wobbles for a long time.

We are intentional with each of the six pillars by connecting them to our values. Values are the foundation of a consistent life. Each of the pillars are the practical ways our values manifest themselves in daily living.

The way to be intentional about each pillar is by setting SMART goals in each of the six areas of our lives.

Raise The Roof!

If values are the foundation of a consistent life, vision is the roof. We need something to hold the whole thing together; otherwise our pillars will sway in the wind and run the risk of toppling over like haphazard dominoes.

Vision is the reason we feed our pillars. It is the purpose of a consistent life. By pursuing and accomplishing goals towards each of the pillars, we stabilize our vision. We grow it and participate in it.

And vision is what connects and unites our pillars (and our values). If we are weak in one pillar, we can be inspired by the strength of another. They share the weight of our vision, a community of structures.

Our deep desire for consistency is a desire to live a transcendent and unified life. We want to stop obsessing over problems and be a part of the creative process, chasing dreams and innovating growth in all arenas of life. Intentionality is the key to consistency. With it comes the peace and the stability we so desperately desire. The consistency we are looking for.