Getting There
What are your Goals ?
There’s an interesting question that I’ve been asked many times in my business career, which centres around goal achievement. Whether that is adding something new to their lifestyle, wanting to get a new business initiative off the ground or trying to raise your profile in the competitive world of business.
When I give my answer, many of them nod with understanding, create a plan and start with the best of intentions. When they don’t see the results they want after a few weeks, they become disheartened, disillusioned, decide that my answer wasn’t that great and find another person to ask.
That person will likely give them the same answer as I did because there is only one. That is consistency, not just for January, or for the next quarter but for as long as it takes.
Being consistent means focusing on the activity, not the result. You cannot control the result. At best, you can only influence it. If you believe the result is achievable, then it can only be reached through the focus of consistently putting in the action that will eventually see that result.
Consistency needs to be intelligently applied and nearly always needs others around you to help.
Three years ago, I hauled my overweight, out of shape, unconditioned body to the top of Pen-y-Fan, the highest mountain in Wales. My intention was to reach the summit and with intrepid determination, I set off. The consistent action was theoretically easy, two steps on the flat path and one up to the next level. It was a clear, sunny day and I could see the path laid out before me, disappearing into the cloud that shrouded the summit.
However, within ten minutes of plodding, my lungs wanted to burst out of my chest and my quads were on fire.
I stopped and sat down on a rock and though about what to do. I reviewed my tactics and realised that as it was, I would never even manage a quarter of Pen-y-Fan, let alone the summit. After some thought, I decided to change my actions to taking the same two steps on the flat and then one up, but then a sit and rest for a minute after ten levels up the slope.
With renewed vigour, I was up and at it, all the way until the about the next thirty metres, when I stopped again, this time the pain bringing tears to my eyes. I was done and I wasn’t even sure how I was going to walk back. I looked at the summit and realised I wasn’t going make the goal I had intended, to conquer the dizzying height of Pen-y-Fan, all 886 metres of it, a mere molehill to many. I was even more disheartened to see an ageing dachshund significantly outpacing me.
One of our friends came back down and sat with me, talked to me, and offered to walk at my excruciatingly slow pace, even though he’d already walked nearly three time the distance I’d managed. Without us talking about it, he knew how much this small feat meant to me.
He helped me get up and start slowly marching on. After a while, I had a routine sorted out. I focused on my boots and the steps I was taking, counting them out until I reached the next sitting stone, where I could rest. My friend had helped me reach that little strategy through his encouragement.
Some hours later, in the howling wind, mist and rain I made it to the top and all the team I had started out with were there, waiting for me, all with smiles on their faces and congratulating my effort.
So what did I learn about Consistency that day ?
I learned some great lessons about consistency that day, which were:
Significance. This goal was significant to me because I want to climb all the all the peaks in the UK. By keeping that in mind, it motivated me to continue.
Time. I accepted that it was going to take more time than I originally thought. I hadn’t prepared properly so this was the consequence.
Endurance. I was finding it really tough going so I had to dig deep to keep myself going. Focusing on the significance this was crucial if I was going to continue.
Patience. I was angry with myself at first but that didn’t really serve any purpose. I had to be patient with my physical limitations and my slow pace.
Strength. I took so much strength from the group of friends I was with that day, and it was them cheering me on that helped me find those deeper levels of endurance.
Consistency Is The Only Way !
Consistency is the only way you will achieve what you want from life, your career, your business, and yourself. In our world of instant gratification, despite the promises of pills and lotions that will give you the results you want now, the significant changes that really matter will take consistency of thought and effort and over time, you will see the results you want.
Goal achievement is often more about the continual lessons you learn on the journey and not about the achievement of the goal itself.
Mark/January 2023