The Power of Discipline & Consistency

 

While we see a lot of factors that contribute to the successful journey of any ultra-high achievers in this world, right from having the right vision and goals to honing the right skills and talent along with being high on morals and ethics, the one thing that we often overlook is the power of being persistent and staying on course throughout one’s journey. This only trait once imbibed can have an exponential effect on one’s improvement journey, which in turn, will shorten one’s time-span in attaining one’s goals.

 Today I would be unlocking the enormous benefits one can realize by being persistent throughout their journey in achieving success at the highest level possible.

 As opposed to conventional wisdom, it is never that one defining moment that differentiates a successful from the ordinary ones, it is always a constant daily effort that brings them to the level when one crosses a threshold and everyone starts noticing it. Till the time it’s noticeable, there is already a significant amount of work being done behind the scenes which only a few might take note of. In order to bring about any remarkable change, it is always those daily improvements (which might seem insignificant on a daily basis) that bring about a compounded effect that ultimately transforms into a bigger achievement. Improving 1% every day will result in a 3700% improvement to your initial state.

 

Any goal one sets out to achieve, be it a career, financial, personal development, physical or health needs to be followed up with the plan which outlines the tasks or actions that one needs to take up. The amount or the time duration for which it needs to be done is not estimated at this point, as this is a very nascent stage to accurately estimate it. However, the point that needs to be understood is “taking up these actions repeatedly”. This is where one can unleash their true potential by showing consistency.

 The logic is simple: These tiny actions, if done repeatedly time & again will eventually turn into a habit. And habits are difficult to change as it has been sub-consciously hard-wired within us. That means, over a period of time, these required actions are taken up instinctively. The effort that it takes to carry out these actions, in the beginning, is far more than it takes when it turns into a habit. Such repetitive actions bring mastery at what we do and beyond a point, it transforms us into the person we ought to be. The result: - we end up achieving what we had initially set out to.

 The thing that needs to be taken care of is determining the right actions or tasks which would keep us on the right trajectory to inch towards our goals. Working on the not-so-connected and irrelevant tasks will drift us from our growth trajectory and so won’t help us reach anywhere. Working consistently and putting the right amount of time on the relevant tasks would curtail our journey and help us achieve our goals within the shorter time-frame and this is what it means by having High Productivity.

 This is easier said than done. The one thing that comes in our way is boredom. Doing the same tasks repeatedly can lead to boredom, prompting one to give up. The one thing that separates successful people from the rest is the ability to stay motivated through all times. They continue doing the things they believe are the right ones, no matter how boring or tedious they feel. Most people fall into the trap of instant gratification. They start taking action, but the moment they realize that they are not closer to what they had set out to achieve in the short term, they immediately give up. Successful people play the game of long-term. They understand the importance of steady and consistent progress. They are unperturbed with losing games in the short-term as they are focused on winning long-term games. One can even observe that they don’t even do any fancy stuff, they are only consistent doing their tasks doggedly to an almost-boring degree.

  

“Losers play the short game which is based on winning quickly and a belief that they’re smarter than the average person. You can avoid a degree in losermanship by playing the long game, getting educated, investing in what you know, diversifying your risk and learning from people who are smarter than you. Success, fame and money are not achieved overnight.” -Tim Denning

 Sport is a direct reflection of what persistence can help one achieve their dreams. Amidst all sorts of roadblocks they face, they show how displaying grit & determination makes them achieve greater results. Cyclist Lance Armstrong went about winning 5 Tour de France races, post his recovery from testicular cancer. The famous Michael Jordan who persevered throughout always accepted challenges every time he faced rejection. Roger Federer, inarguably the Tennis champion displayed his resilience and determination to become one of the topmost seeds and sustain that position throughout his career. There are many such examples that epitomize the importance of perseverance & consistency as a long-term winning strategy.

Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity. And this “just keep going” attitude helps one build that powerful character within oneself. It transforms one completely as an individual and so who one becomes at the end of this process is the real value that one gains out of it. This transformation is much more valuable than achieving the end results. Successful people focus on the process than the outcome. 

I want to conclude by taking a leaf out of Roy Bennett’s book - “The Light in the Heart”.

“When the going gets tough, put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. Don’t give up.”

                                                                                                

Thanks a lot for reading and feel free to comment.