“We’re always looking for more improvement. We’re always looking for more consistency.”—Brian Flores
“Consistency is the most overrated of all human virtues… I’m someone who changes his mind all the time.”—Malcolm Gladwell
We often hear that the key to success is consistency. To some extent this is true—for example, execution in sport. Growth, however, does not come with consistency. Growth, by definition, is the antithesis of consistency. Growth requires “progressive overload” (i.e., doing progressively more over time than that to which one is accustomed).
Growth requires a certain consistency of effort. However, the stimulus for more growth is more effort. It requires more consistency. Consistency alone is stagnation.
Consistency is an asymptote. It must be. We improve ourselves without ever achieving perfection. We improve ourselves by refining our effort and becoming consistently more consistent.
Malcolm Gladwell is not wrong. Consistency is overrated. I trust that when Gladwell says he “changes his mind all the time” he means that as his mind becomes better informed his knowledge and, thus, decision-making changes accordingly. I don’t expect that his mind is erratic and unstable.
Success requires a goal. Achievement requires effort—consistency, determination, commitment, and change. It requires that we….
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!!