When it comes to success, consistency is a wonderful thing and absolutely critical if you want to reach your goals.
No matter who you are or what you do, you need to be consistent to make any headway.
Okay, now that sounds like some of the simplest, dumbed down advice in the world. I mean, who doesn’t know that? From an early age, we are taught that nothing comes free and it takes effort to get anywhere. One component of that effort is consistency.
The problem is that we either forget how important it is, or that we find a reason not to remain consistent.
Let’s say you want to start a window cleaning business. Now, window cleaning is one business that is super competitive because of its low startup costs. Anyone with a van, ladder and a few hundred dollars worth of squeegees and cloths can start a window washing business.
The problem is that very few make it past the initial startup phase. It has a huge failure rate. Why? Well, it’s highly competitive for the above reasons, and because you are pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, so to speak. In the beginning, you are trying to get customers and get your name out there. With no repeat business or referrals, you are going to have to really go all out, non-stop for the first season. After that, it gets only slightly better because you might get repeat business and /or referrals.
During that first year, no one has heard of you and you have no reputation. Meanwhile, there are dozens of other guys chasing the same customers. Some may be in their second year or more, but many more will be trying to break into the business, fresh, just like you are.
You’ll be facing a tremendous uphill battle as you flyer neighbourhoods and spend money you don’t have on newspaper ads and online ads. Oh, and let’s not forget cold calling and knocking on doors.
When you do get work, it’ll be sporadic. You’ll also be working cheap because that’s the only way you can get business. When starting out, you’ll sometimes only get work if you’re the cheapest.
And don’t get me going on winter – lol! Lean times is an understatement!
Having said all that, there are successful window cleaning companies – actually, some are very successful. How did they get there? Probably a combination of tenacity and a little luck.
You can bet the owner went through the awful first year phase where clients were few and far between as they worked for less than minimum wage.
It’s natural to feel as though those who succeeded are different than you – that, somehow, they got breaks you didn’t. You’d likely be wrong though.
What you don’t see is that they set their course, put forth a super-human effort and did that consistently until they made it. No letting up on the gas. Sure, some may have had a decent amount of money to invest, but certainly that wouldn’t apply to everyone.
Going on with the window cleaning example:
Imagine waking up in the morning, gathering up thousands of flyers and hitting the streets. Imagine doing that for the morning and then working for minimum wage until dusk for the one customer that you sold a job to that day. Imagine your first year like that. How much motivation would you have to do this every day? Yet, that kind of consistency is what separates the winners from the losers. It’s necessary.
Okay, let’s stop talking about window cleaning. I only mention it because it’s such a great example.
Consistency plays a role in just about everything we do and/or want to accomplish. How many times have you started something with lots of potential, putting forth a huge amount of effort, only to pack it in before you gave it a chance? Imagine how much time you’ve wasted over the years starting and stopping various endeavours.
I’m as guilty as anyone else when it comes to lack of consistency. Maybe it’s just something that’s built into the human psyche, but I can’t imagine for what purpose.
How much power would one have if they were able to laser focus on something and follow up with unrelenting consistency? You’d be unstoppable because eventually you would pass the point where 99% of other people give up.
What would it take for that to happen though?
Let’s back up.
Step one has to involve some planning. You need to know you’ve made the right choice with the material available to you. Making sure you have a clear cut, sensible goal is paramount. If you’re consistent, but haven’t properly thought about your goals and how to get there, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time and effort.
Once your goals are set, figure out what has to be done in order to get there. Just a rough outline for now, because it’s bound to change as you go.
Now, finally, you can give it your best effort, and that includes maintaining consistency.
Looking for shortcuts.
As time goes on and the initial novelty wears off, you’re going to start struggling with consistency. That’s where most people start faltering. It’s also where some will look for a short cut or easier way of doing things. It’s usually justified as a way to work smarter, not harder.
The problem is that you may convince yourself that an easier track is smarter, when actually, you know full well it’s not. It is simply a way to ease up on the gas – to decrease your consistency.
If this sounds like you, one of the first things you have to address is the constant need to look for shortcuts. It’s wonderful if you can find a workable shortcut, but in reality, there’s no substitute for consistent hard work.
If you’re a perfectionist.
If you tend to be a perfectionist, you may struggle with consistency because you’re looking for an all-or-nothing effort and outcome. If you can’t have a perfect day, then why bother at all? This chips away at your effort and determination in the long run.
Shiny object syndrome.
Along the way, you’re going to come across shiny objects that will make you re-think your original plan. If it’s shiny enough, you’ll end up trashing your goals for something that looks so much better. While it will occasionally make sense to start over with new goals and a new plan, it’s usually only after the original plan has been found to be faulty. More often than not, the original plan is great, it’s just the novelty of something new that appeals to us. We hate to be bored. The old plan is boring. This new plan is exciting. Sound familiar? Don’t get sucked in by shiny object syndrome (sos).
You missed a day. Is it really over?
If you are militant about maintaining a schedule, it can be tough to miss a day. There is a certain sense of accomplishment when you keep your commitment. Let me give you an example:
I have started a run/walk program and I have vowed to complete at least 5km a day, rain or shine. After a month, I found myself facing a stormy day that was unlike any other. The rain was torrential and was coming down horizontally due to the strong winds. I am geared up for rain, but not like that. Being that the temperature was just above freezing, I opted to miss a day.
That wasn’t a great feeling. It felt like I failed. The next day was tough because I had lost all my momentum and motivation. I was starting over from square one. The urge to give up was strong, but I muddled through the minimum 5 km and left it like that. The next day I did more. Looking back, that one missed day did nothing to sabotage my progress.
It takes a lot to get back on track, and having to deal with an interruption like that is one of the main reasons people give up on being consistent.
Results.
Another reason you might stop being consistent is when you aren’t seeing any progress. For me, this is a reality I face daily with my websites.
There is delayed gratification when it comes to churning out content on the internet. Rarely will you see the results of your hard work immediately. It can take months or even years before you see results in the search engines and social media – and some articles never go anywhere.
If you aren’t seeing results, it can be a hard slog. Who is going to keep working for nothing?
The same can be said for just about any diet or exercise program. There are no instant results and in the beginning there is a certain amount of faith required to keep going.
The accumulative effect
No doubt, you’ve heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. A prime example of getting the job done with continuous effort as opposed to spurts of intense effort. In many ways, we are all the hare. Few of us have the patience to be the tortoise. The tortoise is unrelenting – a
characteristic very few posses.
The thing is, by being consistent, the tortoise is accumulating more over time than the hare could ever hope for. At some point, there is no way the hare can catch up.
Even a small effort every day over time will out perform a massive short term effort. The accumulative effect is extremely powerful for those who understand it. You are adding to and reinforcing previous efforts every single day.
Talk about an advantage over everyone else. You just need the discipline to use it.
