#50 - The Caution of Consistency
In recognition of a milestone
It’s the 50th Tuesday of Tuesday’s Rule! 🎉 It felt only natural to write something about consistency and milestones today.
This will also be the final TR of the year, so I wanted to take this opportunity to say a genuine, heartfelt thank you to you for reading anything I’ve written this year.
Consistency is the secret sauce to success. It’s common wisdom.
To be successful, keep showing up!
It’s advice we’ve all heard and read.
Whilst it may have some truth to it, it may also be the most overused and oversimplified advice anyone can ever give.
“Success isn’t all about greatness. It’s about consistency.”
“With consistency and reps, you’re going to achieve your goals.”
“If you’re new on Substack, you might suck at first, but just keep showing up. The subscribers will come!”
Hey, this guy has drunk a bottle of whisky every day for seven years, let’s celebrate and congratulate him on his consistency!
Said no one, ever.
Consistency is important, but only if you consistently do the right things.
I feel qualified to talk about this because I’ve seen consistency work and not work, and I’ve seen examples of it falling somewhere between the two.
We should ask ourselves: does success result from consistency, or were successful people given enough green lights along the way to make keeping going the obvious answer?
In other words, is consistency only helpful for those already talented and on the right path?
Yes and no.
Consistency works when it creates a virtuous feedback loop. It doesn’t when it’s a blind continuation of a strategy that you have no evidence to be working - this is consistency for the sake of consistency. A trap.
We need to be consistent. But for the right reasons.
The Virtuous Cycle of Consistency
Let’s break down this consistency feedback loop that enables us to ensure that consistency is for the right reasons.
Here’s how I think about it:
Consistent Effort
Feedback
Improvement
Recognition
Enjoyment
More Consistency
Let’s break that down a little further.
Consistent Effort - consistency has to start somewhere and it has to start with regularly showing up and putting effort into a goal. This is where many definitions of consistency stop, but it should be the beginning.
Feedback - if you put in consistent effort, you will get feedback. It is great if it is from others, even better if those others are constructive and wise. But often, the feedback won’t come from others. Especially if you are starting something small from scratch. The truth is many people won’t notice. Or care. In this case, the feedback has to come from within. Are you enjoying yourself? Do you feel like you are getting better? Can you see yourself doing this for 10 more years?
Improvement - that feedback - wherever it comes from - is only helpful if you implement it. Use the feedback to refine, tweak, implement. We’re now getting into the value of consistency and highlighting the importance of a growth mindset.
Recognition - if you are truly improving, you will start to see progress. Again, great if this recognition comes from others, but even at this stage, it might not. I’m recognising today that 50 weeks of posting in a row is good going. I’m proud of that, and that is recognition enough.
Enjoyment - as you see results and feel recognised, the process should become increasingly enjoyable and fulfilling. This positive assertion leads to…
Reinforcement of Consistency - which brings us back to the start.
If your idea of consistency - and any advice given bout consistency - stops at “just show up”, it falls short. At worst, it’s worthless.
So yes, consistency is important, but only if it leads to a virtuous cycle of consistency—a happy loop of growth, recognition, and fulfilment.
The next time you think about continuing something just for consistency’s sake, question if that consistency is driving you forward or if you’re just spinning your wheels.
That’s exactly what I’m going to reflect on over the holidays. I’m very proud of the consistency I’ve been able to generate, but consistency without reflection is just repetition, and that’s not what I’m aiming for.
What I read this week
Like many, I had my mind blown by the news that Google has created a quantum computing chip that is capable of calculating equations in 5 minutes that would have taken the world’s most powerful supercomputer 10^25 years to calculate. (More than the estimated age of the universe).
I spent a while reading Sundar Pichai's (CEO of Google) tweet and the replies, pretending that I knew what any of them meant :).. but when Elon Musk replies by simply saying “Wow”, it’s probably worth a look.
https://x.com/sundarpichai/status/1866167429367468422
What I watched this week
My wife convinced me to watch A Muppets Christmas Carol and I’ll be taking no questions on the matter.
Thanks for reading, see you when I do ✌🏻❤️