Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA
Today happens to be my birthday, another year gone by full of work, play, learning, and everything in between. At the mark of another year gone by, I like to look back and reflect on what I’ve done and where I stand. Hopefully I will be able give myself a quick pat on the back, and try to summarize a few key learnings. This year I learned a myriad of lessons. Is there one in particular that stands out above the rest? As you may have guessed, there is: CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY!
I’m hoping all of you have heard that X5 is bringing Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS magazine, to Edmonton on March 5th to speak about “The productivity strategies of super-achievers”. This year I also read Darren’s book, “The Compound Effect”, and from it gleaned my year’s key learning, “Consistency is the key”. I realized that personal development, just like growing up and many other things in life is a process, it takes time. If I want every year to be my best one yet, I simply need to consistently improve on all aspects of my life.
For instance, being in great shape is not about working out 6 times a week for 4 weeks, It’s about working out 2-3 times a week for the rest of your life. Much like learning isn’t done by studying for a test over the weekend. Instead, it’s done by reading something relevant and informative for an hour or more every day for the rest of your life.
Consistency is also key for businesses. Great customer service isn’t achieved by doing something amazing once a year for a happy customer, although that helps. It’s achieved by giving a little extra value every single day to each customer you interact with.
The magic of consistency is that it carries momentum and allows the positive externalities of your actions to compound. You may not see the benefits of your actions immediately, but at the mark of another year, you’ll wonder how you’ve come so far so easily.
What are the areas of your life or business you feel could benefit from more consistency? I challenge you to choose one thing to focus on in the coming months, break it down, and commit 100% to taking consistent action.
