Consistency. A middah worth millions.
And a rather difficult one to master.
We’ve all achieved consistency in some areas of our lives. Eating. Davening. Daf Yomi. Hanging our coats on that hook in the hall.
So we know we can do it. And we also know that if we’d master consistency in our fundraising – think “making 10 fundraising calls a day” or “sending two cold emails a day” – we’d be guaranteed success.
So why don’t we do it?
Because consistency takes effort. Consistency requires us to overcome our inertia and build a brand-new habit.
Difficult? Often, yes. Sometimes, however, small tips and changes can make habit-building wildly easier.
I used to struggle hard to keep up with Shnayim Mikra (reading the weekly parsha twice with a commentary). I’d fall behind, decide to catch up over Shabbos, struggle to make that happen, fall further behind… the classic vicious cycle.
Until I made the tiny change that soon led me to vanquish this challenge.
I moved my Chumash from the bookshelf to my desk.
In their book “Switch,” Dan and Chip Heath explain why this tweak accomplished so much.
Apparently, I had a “situation problem.” Something in my environment was working against the goal I wanted to reach. By tweaking my environment, making it work with me instead of against me, change became easier.
When my Chumash lived on the bookshelf, I didn’t have immediate access to it. There was “too much to do” to equip myself for the task of Shnayim Mikrah. When I moved my Chumash to my desk, however, it stared at me every time I sat down to learn. And kept staring until I picked it up and got the job done.
Having trouble getting basic fundraising efforts done consistently?
Maybe it’s just a “situational problem.” Maybe a tiny environmental tweak can bring you miles closer to consistency. Maybe it’s as simple as bookmarking your fundraising app so you can access it in 2 seconds instead of 30.
As James Clear of “Atomic Habits” puts it: “When we reduce the number of steps between ourselves and the habit(s) we’re trying to form, we lower the activation energy needed to jump-start that new behavior, and in doing so, make habit change easier and more enjoyable.”
What “situational problems” might be stymying your habit-building effor
What’s one small tweak you can make to your environment so consistency becomes yours?
Have a productive and successful week,
Avraham
© 2024 Avraham Lewis & Co.