Consistency
The One Thing
If there were one strength I would want my children to have in order to succeed at anything, it would be consistency. Consistency is a trait that creates the habits, skills, and expertise needed for success.
But, the funny thing about consistency is that it’s also the elephant in the room that nobody wants to address when it comes to success. Why? Because being consistent ain’t easy. The good news is there’s a way to be consistently consistent. But, before we go there, let’s talk about why consistency is so difficult.
The Hard Part
The biggest reason being consistent is so difficult is because its hard work. When we talk about being consistent at anything, we’re talking about consistently doing the work necessary to achieve the goal. So, by definition, achieving success via consistency is hard work.
If you wanted to be the best hitter in baseball, then you would need to do a lot of batting practice. Over and over again. Day after day. Week after week. If you wanted to be a talented photographer, then you would need to take a lot of photos. Over and over again. Day after day. Week after week. And if you wanted to be a top salesperson, then you would need to go out and sell things. Over and over. Day after day. Week after week.
None of that would be easy to actually do. It takes dedication and commitment to consistently do the work. There’s no glory in it. This is what we mean when we say people are rewarded in public for what they practice in private. The consistent work, done in private, is riddled with failure, mistakes, and adjustments. The consistent work is where we learn from failure and gradually improve.
And nobody wants to see any of that. You won’t have an audience cheering you on while you consistently do the work. You won’t have any fans during this phase. Nobody to motivate you. No future lovers swooning over your efforts, errors, and goof ups. The consistent work is the part that nobody cares about. It’s the part that takes endurance because its brutal. It’s the suffering. And it’s the part that everyone wants to skip or find a shortcut for.
The Monotony of Consistency
The consistent work is also monotonous. And if you’re looking for a way to get bored quickly, then do something monotonous. “Consistent” is defined as: “acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate”. So, by definition, consistency is monotonous. And boring. And relentless.
But, doing something “the same way over time” is how you become more “accurate” when its time to perform. When its showtime or when it’s time to close the deal, we look to our most accurate performers to get the job done. When its time to hit the game-winning shot, we look to Steph Curry and Lebron James because they’re the most accurate. They’re the ones who were most consistent with putting in the work up to this point.
Long and Slow
Consistently putting in the work is a long, slow process. This is why we often hear people say that it’s important to “embrace the process.” Because the process takes time. During this slow process, you don’t see your ultimate goal. And sometimes it’s so slow that its even hard to see progress.
But, it’s important that you’re patient during this long, slow process. You must continue to consistently put in the work, regardless of not seeing immediate results. Look for the slightest hint of progress. If you’re not seeing any progress, then adjust your approach a bit. But, then hammer away at it again. Over and over again. Day after day. Week after week.
Affirm Consistency
If being consistent is so challenging then how can we overcome the challenge? My secret is affirming consistency. By knowing your goal, you should be able to determine the work needed to achieve that goal. Even if you’ve never accomplished that goal before, there’s a good chance someone else has accomplished it or something similar. Do what they did. And do it consistently.
In order to do it consistently, you need to optimize your mindset. Get your mind right for hard work, monotony, and the patience required to endure a long, slow process. You can do this by affirming consistency. You can affirm, “I am consistent.” Or you can affirm something more specific to your particular goal, such as, “I am consistently getting in front of the customer, building relationships, and providing them with the solutions they want.”
By doing this, you are affirming yourself to be someone who is consistently putting in the work necessary to succeed. And by affirming that, you are developing the mindset, identity, and habits needed to achieve success.
Affirm what you want. Get what you want.