Consistency Will Make You Feel Like a Loser

Here’s something we need to clear up right off the bat.

Success comes through sustained effort.

(The key word in that sentence is not “effort.” It’s “sustained.”)

When I started writing online in January 2015, I could only squeeze out one miserable post a week. I felt lame. The big boys of the industry were publishing 4 or 5 times in 7 days.

But I had tried that frequency before. All those times, I burnt out.

Once you burn out, it’s over.

You will say:

“I’ll get back to this one day,” and then you never do.

“I just need a break,” but that break stretches on for weeks, months, and years.

So slowly but surely, I wrote. It felt like everyone else was racing by. What I didn’t realize was this: for every week I continued, dozens of other people quit.

For 41 posts, nothing much happened.

The 42nd post changed my life.

Consistency beats talent, good intentions, and — if I’m completely honest — it often beats quality.

When you are consistent, you often win by default.

Kyle, you’ve reminded me of another quote:

“Most people knock on the door of their dreams once, then run away before anyone has a chance to the open the door.

But if you keep knocking, persistently and endlessly, eventually the door will open.”

— Les Brown

Thanks for the reminder,

— TB