Consistency is Next to Godliness
“Don't break the chain!” -Jerry Seinfeld
When Brad Isaac was a young comedian, he found himself in the same club as the great comedian, Jerry Seinfeld.
Isaac managed to grab Seinfeld backstage to ask him if he had “any tips for a young comic.”
Seinfeld told Isaac that the way to become a better comic is to create better jokes.
And to create better jokes, you have to write every day.
Seinfeld used a unique calendar system to help keep consistent with this practice.
He would hang a calendar on his wall.
With a big red magic marker, he would mark a big “X” on the day's date after completing his writing task. After a few days, a big red ‘chain' starts to form.
With every day that he writes, the chain grows longer. “Don't break the chain!” Seinfeld stresses to Isaac.
The key lesson here is the importance of consistency.
Its association with success goes overlooked frequently. A few years ago a former co-worker of mine dropped some priceless advice that I'll never forget:
“In everything we do; in everything outside of this office, consistency holds weight. Consistency is next to godliness. The more consistency you bring to your life, the greater the success you'll see.”
And you know what, he was right. The moment things got out of whack, failure crept in. We all can think of a time where ‘life got harder' because things became inconsistent.
Life is chaotic by nature. It's random and will test your ability to stay on track.
The key is to stay true to your path and try to walk it without falling into chaos. Don't let life push you around.
Push back.
You have the power to.
The one thing top performers in every field (athletes, musicians, artists, etc.) have in common, is that they're all more consistent than their less-successful peers.
They focus, and they show up.
They don't let the succulent aspects of the day-to-day bog them down.
We all have our moments where we “fall off the wagon”. I've had my share of days where I underperformed. Had a bad workout? Yup, tons.
Had a horrible day in which I wanted to lash someone? Yup, had plenty of those days too.
We're all human. We relate and have empathy towards each other from one situation to the other.
The key to seeing the success you want, the change you desire, is consistency.
Want to be healthier? The key to seeing the success you want and the change you desire is to be consistent.
Go to the gym and practice consistent habits. Eat healthily and get sufficient sleep.
Want to meet the girl of your dreams?
Consistency. Get out and talk to more people.
Bottom line:
Consistency is next to godliness.
Matt Warnock
Author
Helping individuals build their dream physique.