Note to Self (06.07.23)
06.07.23
Consistency is more than a tool for success, but a guarantee that the work you do will yield a return now, and in the future.
You can’t make progress if you don’t show up. Maybe it’s not every day of the week - but more often than not, you better be in the arena, doing the work.
The power of consistency is rooted in a compounding effect. What you invest today, and the day after that, will offer an accumulating benefit over time. That’s the process of success; the so-called ‘secret’ that no one wants to hear.. You just have to show up, again and again.
One small swing of the hammer at a time - eventually, a breakthrough occurs.
Consistency of performance is essential. You don't have to be exceptional every week but as a minimum you need to be at a level that even on a bad day you get points on the board.” (Sean Dyche)
Consistency is about “more often than not.” Doing what you say you’re going to do, and understanding the work required to achieve a desired outcome.
Consistency is the ability to break a big picture into smaller, repeatable pieces. “Excellence is a matter of steps.” says Ryan Holiday in his best-selling book, The Obstacle is the Way. Success becomes more a matter of process than outcome. You value the moment you're in more than the goal you're pursuing, because one can't exist without the other.
Consistency is a mindset. A belief system you adopt as the only path worth pursuing. A life that prioritizes consistent action places more weight on the little steps than the big goal. Because without each step, there is no progress - no journey.
Too often, we compromise on our goals because they seem out of reach, too audacious, and unachievable. We must remind ourselves of the strength that we possess, and the abilities that we can can leverage in our favor.
Consistency builds confidence; it allows you to prove something to yourself, early and often. Each day becomes a new opportunity to win. And once the wins stack up, momentum is built. An object in motion stays in motion, so get moving.
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life than this.” (Henry David Thoreau)
Consider the areas of your life where you are most and least consistent. Which do you:
Perform better at?
Enjoy more?
Take more pride in?
You may find that the areas of your life where you are most consistent are also the ones where you thrive. That is not simply happenstance.
So, if there is power in consistency, how can we use it in our favor? What is required of the person who lives a consistent life, one of compounding benefit and growth over time? Three things stand out.
1. Values - We can’t prioritize everything. You must be able to identify your foremost values and the accompanying actions that provide worthy investments into those values. Maybe, it’s your fitness. Be consistent in your training. Do you value your family? Then be consistent not just with the time you spend together, but also the quality of time.
It’s not good enough to go through the motions. Consistency only works if you give it your best, every time.
2. Discipline - Understanding and doing are two entirely different mindsets. Consistency requires the discipline to take action, not just the understanding of right and wrong. Discipline is a value of accountability. Do you know what you truly want out of your life, beyond the comforts of any given moment? Are you willing to do the work, time and time again?
Discipline. You’re either born with it or you develop it, but you can never diminish its importance in the pursuit of better.
3. Structure - Habits, systems, and practices are all highly important for lasting effort and longevity in any pursuit. Structure is the means by which you create systems, both of accountability and action, to ensure that you show up to the arena, and you do so as your best self. Life offers enough resistance to our efforts. By creating systems, you limit any unneeded barriers that may stand in the way of your most important work.
You won’t be consistent in all areas of your life. Identify what matters most to you. Be intentional with the things you value, apply the principles of consistency to these priorities, and see the compounding benefit that accompanies your efforts.
Note to Self: The only way forward is one step at a time. Come to appreciate each step.
