Consistency is Worth It.

Consistency is, I think, one of the hardest life skills to learn. It’s easy to show up on the good days, and very hard to show up on the bad ones.

Lately, though, I’ve been realizing that the real value of consistency is not the results we achieve, but it is the structure consistency creates for our lives when everything else is murky.

At Forge, we talk a lot about our habits and identity . . . about how we show up when no one else is watching. In short, consistency is what creates the framework for our habits, which then become part of what forms our identity.

Runners will tell you that the discipline of lacing up their shoes, even when they don’t feel like it, is the first step towards actually creating the outcome they want. . . the end result that comes from going for the run. Swimmers will tell you the same thing, as will artists, and writers, and even business people. ;)

Here is the thing: discipline and consistency take courage. Every time you choose to show up, knowing you aren’t at your best, but you try anyway, you risk a little bit of humiliation.

But the vulnerability to show up, even when you’re at less than your best, is what creates long-term patterns worth fighting for. These patterns become the foundation of your life, the habits you can return to when the other unknowns start to grow.

Michael Phelps said, “Excellence is a result of everyday effort.” And I agree. And I’d also add that everyday effort is the foundation for all the other good things that follow.

So we do the next right thing. It’s worth it.