Consistency - Joy

 

Consistency - Day 32

Today, I will be talking about consistency - like my DofE - and factors that may affect your consistency.

I was talking to my friend recently and I was thinking. Why can I be this consistent at talking and having  conversations with my friends, but not be consistent and other things. I lowered these reasons down to just 3 factors. Basically, it is mainly down to how much joy you have on doing it, are you passionate about it, and if it really matters.

For how much joy you have on doing it, can be down to these several factors of that factor:

1. Dopamine and the Brain reward system

When you do stuff - like activities you enjoy -, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure - like fun and entertainments - and a reward. This release of dopamine makes you feel good, making you feel more happier to do the activity again. The dopamine of this positive experience can drive more motivation and lead to more consistency. Once you keep doing the activity, if the activity becomes associated with a pleasurable feeling - like watching a youtuber your brain finds joy in or a game you enjoy playing -, your brain is more likely to prioritize it and let you do it again.

2. Self Motivation

Self motivation means to do something because you genuinely enjoy it or find it satisfying, instead doing it for an external reward or outcome. People are usually more consistent when they are driven by self motivation because they don’t need to force themselves to do the activity. This gives off the impression that the activity itself feels rewarding. This contrasts with extrinsic motivation, - which is where you do something because you have to or to avoid a negative consequence - which often leads to inconsistency and burnout.

3. Positive Emotions

When you’re engaged in something fun, your emotions are more positive, which also means your perception of the effort that you have done tends to be lower. This is because positive emotions can reduce the feelings of fatigue and make tasks seem easier or less difficult and haunting. For example, if you enjoy playing a sport, you might be willing to spend hours practicing because it doesn’t feel like hard work due to your positive emotions and the joy you have doing it. On the other hand, tasks you dislike, feel more exhausting and require more effort to do.

4. Engagement and Flow

Fun activities are more likely to lead to a state of “flow,” where you become fully into it - the activity - in what you’re doing and lose track of time. Flow states are linked to high levels of focus, enjoyment, and productivity. When you do something you like, and consistently get into a flow with it, it becomes easier to stick with it because of the deep information inside of brain, saying that they like and want more of that experience.

5. Habit

Consistency in any behaviour is also linked to habit formation. When an activity is enjoyable, you’re more likely to repeat it frequently, making it easier to form a habit. Habits are behaviours you perform automatically, with less conscious effort and without having to do it for a task or having to do it forcefully. If a task is enjoyable, you’ll likely create a positive feedback to your brain so that it loops and that encourages regular engagement, strengthening the habit over time.

6. Less Mental Resistance

Tasks you don’t find fun are more likely to be associated with feelings of boredom, frustration, or anxiety, creating mental resistance. This resistance makes it hard to do the activity consistently. When you find something fun, you face less internal resistance, making it easier to start and maintain the behaviour.

7. Perception of Time

Engaging in activities you enjoy often makes time feel like it’s passing quickly, while boring or unenjoyable tasks can make time drag. This weird but entertaining time perception can make fun activities feel like they fit more easily into your schedule - but most likely, if something is fun, you will pass your schedule - , which encourages repetition and consistency.

8. Emotional Well being

Doing things you enjoy contributes to overall well being and reduces stress. Positive wellbeing feelings can enhance your general outlook on life and make you more eager to participate in enjoyable activities. On the other hand, stress or negative emotions can make less fun activities feel even more bored, useless, and gives you less motivation, reducing your likelihood of doing them regularly.

9. Social and Environmental

Sometimes, fun activities are also social, like playing sports or video games with friends. The added element of social interaction and bonding can make you even more likely to be consistent because you associate the activity with good memories and shared experiences. This social environment also lets you talk to people when your bored, leading you to most likely keep doing what your doing, or possibly, get distracted and off track, leading you to procrastinate.

In summary, due to all these factors that included; the brain reward mechanisms, reduced effort perception, motivation, emotional benefits, and the ease of habit formation all are main reasons to why people are more consistent with enjoyable activities. While on the other side, tasks that feel tedious or stressful lack these positive reinforcements, leading to lower motivation and less consistency.

For the other two factors of this, I'll continue them next time.