Consistency is critical to lasting success
I’m a big fan of the Summer Olympics. I’m one of those fans and spectators who is invested in certain sports and events that I do not follow unless it is happening at the Olympics. I swell with pride when our national anthem is playing during the medal ceremonies. I am in awe of the spectacle of the Opening Ceremony as each host country adds its own distinctive flair. I get pulled into the backstory of athletes who have overcome incredible adversity to earn their spot at the highest level of competition. These athletes train for years to shave a tenth of a second off of their time; to be able to throw an extra 3 yards; to run a little faster; to make themselves a little better than the last time they competed. I have often sat there and wondered what drives them to train and practice so hard and go through so many levels and rounds of competition to earn their spot on their country’s Olympic team. Why do they get up in the wee hours of the morning to train? Why do they maintain such a strict diet in preparation? Why do they stay in the gym when everyone else has left? Why do they push when they want to give up?
I believe these athletes understand something that we can all learn from: consistency is key. Consistency is what transforms average into excellence. When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated but have consistency in their motivation. We have a tendency to romanticize our plans but we dread the execution. If I were to poll your family and closest friends, would they say that you are someone they can count on or would they say that you’re great but kind of flaky and can’t be counted on when the game is on the line?
This in no way only applies to competitive athletics. This is a time-tested and proven principle that is applicable to so many facets of life. However, the reason this truth is such a challenge to accept in our day and age is in large part due to something I call the “Amazon Prime Effect.” Prime is a fantastic service. For $119 a year, on all Prime eligible items on Amazon that you order, you receive in 2-business days plus access to a massive collection of music, books, and movies. I love Prime! I love it when I receive the e-mail confirmation telling me that my item(s) have shipped and within that e-mail is a tracking number. I track it all the time! For the most part, I know exactly where my package is along the timeline as it is making its way to me. I am counting down the hours!
I believe we tend to apply that same “Prime Principle” to ourselves and to others. We want to be able to track progress in real time and know that within a defined period of time we are going to receive the harvest on the work that we have been putting in. However, there is no tracking system to personal growth. It takes time. It takes consistency. It takes help. It takes encouragement. I believe we would all love to know when the peace we have longed for will finally come; the healing we have been believing for will manifest; when that promotion is coming; when that wayward child will finally come home; when that friend finally gets out of that abusive relationship; or when your mind is not filled with anxiety and crippling fear.
Imagine a leaky faucet. Regardless of how hard you twist the knob, it still drips. One drop at a time. Incessantly – drip, drip, drip. The consistency becomes an annoyance pretty quickly. But put in the right environment and given enough time, that same dripping with that same consistency, can have an immense amount of power.
That’s how canyons are made. Not all at once, but through the power of consistency. Dripping isn’t that exciting, but what it lacks in flash it makes up for in effectiveness. There’s a lot to be said for the power of consistency. When you opt for consistency over excitement, you are developing the kind of practices that will carry you through the seasons of dryness all of us will encounter. Persistence is the path to success. Consistency is the vehicle you arrive in.