Consistency

If I am not wrong, this word has two meanings. It is the description of A) things done repeatedly or B) how something feels/holds together.

I have come to know that the more you do something, the easier it gets to do it. Duh.

Well, not necessarily “Duh.” I have done math for over 18 years and I still have panic attacks when I see the words “Multiples of”.

Anyway,

Your consistency in something (especially something you love) IMPROVES its consistency. I.e. its quality and or value.

There is a mall in my city that is along a lengthy stretch of road. It has three lanes and everyone drives like they are all going to miss the same flight. When I got my driver’s license, I could not even make a proper turn. And this mall was a very common spot for my friends and me to meet up at. I would park my car at the mall which was a good 30-minute walk away from this particular mall and I would walk the rest of the way. Why? Well because I was scared of playing involuntary bumper cars with strangers on a busy road.

However, I took the risk to try it out once, and I made it without a scratch! That “once” turned into two more times and now I frequent that road not because I have anything to do at the mall, but I simply like to stare at what was once my fear, in the face.

I did something following the terms of consistency and eventually got better at doing it. I improved its consistency.

This mind-set and training can fall into all areas of our lives. If we want something done right, and done well, we do it ourselves making sure to check and check again that it meets a certain standard that will benefit us. Beit in relationships, school essays, hobbies, passions, and careers, we only see the value of our work when we place our effort into it equally… not all the time, but that is another entry for another day.

The hardest part of maintaining consistency is wondering if something is worth it. Unfortunately, there is no timer set on every challenge to help you see the timeframe of your sacrifice. But that is a good thing don’t you think?

It will feel worthless; you will feel as though the results will never start to show. But imagine this, your journey could either be 15 minutes long or 15 years long still demanding the same type of consistency and investment for you to get to where you want/need to be.

My Pastor once said, “It is good to start, but it is better to continue”. This has driven my focus. I am not going to lie sometimes I do break the pattern. For example, I was supposed to post this entry last week Thursday!

I am shaky when it comes to consistency because I cannot physically see the steps I am making towards the goal. If I was given the chance to see how many more struggles were left to arrive at my destination, I would take that chance in heartbeat.

But hey, I guess that is where faith comes in. And faith without works is dead (James 2:17). So be constant. Have faith in what you want to do. Have a focus- and as your consistency builds, it will maintain and improve the consistency of your goals, then you might just get there faster than you expected!