Mastering consistency is KEY to success –
Especially in your job search. Here are 5 powerful tips…
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away. John
asks, “Can I eat 7 apples on Sunday instead?” - The job seeker is advised to send out 10 resumes a day to plant seeds of new opportunities for his better future. He sends out six resumes one day, eight the next, nine the next, etc.
- The business owner plans to call on 3 new educational institutions a week to attract new referral business. Four months later, she’s only called on 12 not 51.
The Difference between Failure and Success?
We could point to a dozen or so principles that determine failure or success, happiness or despair, and overachievement or underachievement. Last month I discussed courage as one of the principles. A close second is consistency. The best business plans, the best job search plans, the best weight loss strategies, and the best game plans for athletic competition will fail without a an unwavering commitment to consistency.
A great majority of people are “starters” but not “sustainers” and “finishers.” Most people talk about success achievement and attaining their goals, but very few ever realize them because they are not consistent in their thoughts and activities. Consistency is about attitude and character. And this is something that everyone and every job seeker must understand. Attitude is important because it requires you have a burning desire to achieve something you want; something that will enrich your life. Attitude is also important because achievement of anything worthwhile requires massive, consistent action.
Attitude
If you want to lose weight, your attitude about how badly you want to lose the weight (desire) and your commitment to take consistent action is the foundation for success. If you want to get out of debt, your attitude about how badly you want to turn your net worth around (desire) and your commitment to take consistent action is the foundation for success. If you want to land a new job quickly, your attitude about how badly you want to become gainfully employed (desire) and your commitment to take consistent action is the foundation for success.
Check out MY favorite practice I call Supercharge Your Job Campaign. Even if you are not currently looking for a job I KNOW this simple practice will be an invaluable tool to help you achieve a consistently positive attitude. It is my gift to you… simply provide your email 
address in the box at the top right hand corner of this page (desktop) or at the bottom of the article (mobile).
Character
Character, by my definition, is “who and what you are when no else is watching you.” Consistency requires a strong character because character suggests discipline and fortitude in the wake of adversity. It’s true; anyone can make it through an easy day. It requires no skill and little intelligence to navigate through life when the seas are calm and you have a gentle following wind.
But to master life and to find joy and substance from all of life’s experiences, your character must lead the way. Misfortune, setbacks, obstacles to success, fear, and other enemies to success will surely attempt to derail your desires. That’s when character steps up and keeps you on track even when you begin to doubt yourself. Character is your best friend when the seas are rough and the wind is blowing so hard that your resolve is severely tested. Character says, “I will not be deterred under any circumstances – and consistency of determination, discipline, action, and reaction will ultimately guide you to success.
The Discipline of Consistency
While most people are drifting through the day, high-achievers are climbing to the top of the mountain. Can you name anyone who successfully arrived at the top of the mountain by drifting there? Can you name anyone who drifted into the Olympics, onto the Broadway stage, or into the Super Bowl? Consistency of action, constant improvement, and self-determination is paramount for any success. I have had conversations with mothers who successfully raised their children with meticulous care and precision. Their success, they admitted, was based in part on consistency – consistency of discipline (the ability to say no when appropriate); consistent, unconditional love no matter what situations arise, and consistency between mother and father – where parental congruency was fully aligned.
I have had conversations with couples who were happier after 50 years of marriage than when they were first married. Their success, they said, was based in part on consistency – consistency of living by their values, disagreeing in a loving way, respecting differences, growing together and never becoming stale, and never waking up or going to bed without saying “I love you.”
Consistency Is Not about Speed; Rather It’s about Regularity
We live in a world that attempts to thrive on speed and instant gratification. Consistency is not necessarily about speed, it’s about the journey or the process of goal attainment. Perhaps the more consistent you are, the sooner you will achieve your targeted ambitions. Does the unemployed job seeker you are working with invest 10 productive hours EVERY day in his / her job campaign? Does the struggling business owner read a new book every month on how to grow and succeed in her business? It took almost 10 years of consistent work to get to the moon – so it just might take more than 24 hours or a week to get to your goal.
Consistency of Thought and Action
Mary admits that she consistently watches 6 hours of television a day. Harry confesses he consistently wakes up late in the morning, surfs the Internet for jobs, and does not network or proactively seek to land a job. It doesn’t require rocket science intelligence to conclude that the wrong consistency of thought and action leads to failure and devastation. This is why attitude and character are so important. It’s consistently pondering the right constructive thoughts and taking the right constructive action that lead to new habits and an extraordinary and rewarding life!
5 Tips for Mastering Consistency
1) Just Show Up
I began the practice of yoga two years ago at age 58. It’s hard! But yoga has changed my life in almost every way. I show up for practice on a regular basis, but on occasion, I just don’t want to go. But it’s when I don’t feel like going when I make sure I show up. It’s easy to skip a class and become inconsistent. But then, success and underachievement is practically guaranteed. Just showing up consistently – to an office, to the job search, or to the gym – is 90% of the battle.
2) Demand More from Yourself than Anyone Else Would Ever Demand of You
This tip assumes you won’t find excuses or blame for inconsistency. Prepare for the unexpected and for life’s daily distractions. You and you alone, are responsible for creating, maintaining, and improving disciplined habits that lead to success and joy -including in your job search. It’s true: “If it’s going to be – it’s up to me.”
3) Do What You Don’t Want to Do
This requires a little reconditioning of thinking here. The reason job seekers are still seeking a job, business owners are still struggling and floundering, employees are not getting raises or promotions, and poor health still has the upper hand on good health is that most people are NOT conditioned to do what they don’t want to do. They are enticed to take the easy path rather than the disciplined one. They choose procrastination over proactively. And they choose laziness over self-motivation. When you consistently do what you don’t want to do, you’ll consistently get all that you want!
4) Don’t Major in Minor Things
How many hours a day does a rich person have and how many hours a day does a poor person have? Of course the answer is 24. The difference between rich and poor is how they invest their time. The rich invest their time in things that matter while poor people waste their time on things that don’t matter.
This simple philosophy changed my life! I realized that I spent far too much time on things that would not open the doors of success and happiness and far too little time on things that would open the doors to unlimited opportunities. The tip here is clear and indisputable: Time management is way under-valued.
5) Measure Results
Make measurable progress in reasonable time. You need to take time to evaluate your progress and to make any necessary adjustments. If a job seeker has sent out 50 resumes a week for 4 weeks and has not secured an interview, he probably needs to reevaluate his strategy and tools and come up with a revised plan. You can’t fix what you can’t measure – so consistency of measuring and evaluating results is crucial to success.
In Summary
Most people know what to do – they simply don’t do what they know. I consistently strive for excellence even though there is always room for improvement. I do my very best to inspire my clients to also strive for excellence – what else do we have to do during the short time we have on this planet? Yes, there are plenty of people sitting in the stands watching the game. My challenge is for you (and your clients) to get in the game and take your swings. When you do, you’ll find an abundance of success (including job search success – better yet job campaign success!) and personal satisfaction when you consistently invest all your gifts to create the amazing life you were meant to live.