Consistency is Calling
In the past couple of years, I have gotten into fitness. (But what does GeTtInG iNtO FiTnEsS mean, Louis!?) In 2019 I ran my first (probably only) full marathon, and then I started my weight lifting journey in 2020. Aside from a few hiccups, I can proudly say I have been consistently doing the fitness thing! But, like so many others, this practice got me thinking about the importance of consistency.
Just do it. Yes, we all immediately think of Nike when those three words come up, but I have also found the phrase in various conversations over the last few weeks. What stands between us and our goals? Consistency. Simply doing the thing. I’ve had multiple goals over the years, from traveling to specific destinations, achieving new fitness levels, reading a particular amount of books, paying down debt, and even running a marathon. In every scenario, the goals that I achieve are the ones I chip on a daily or weekly basis- all year. I’ve written here in the past about the “how-to” of that. But today I want to focus on the importance of showing up and being consistent in life in general.
There will never be enough time in the day, yet some people get more done in 24-hours than others. Why is this? It comes down to consistency. Yes, there are to-many-to-count variables when it comes to comparing people, but when I look at the careers of the people I admire, I find that they not only began the work, they do the work every day. It’s not the starting that is hard; it’s the mundane work in the middle. The day-to-day, tiny results, not-wanting-to-do-it, work. That is the hard part. And in that, that’s where lasting change occurs.
This work translates into relationships as well. Those of us who have had a significant other know the pure joy that comes at the start of the relationship, the “honeymoon phase” it’s so eloquently dubbed. When is it hard? At seven years. At 18 years. At 32 years. Even friendships (I’ve written about the difficulty of adult friendship here) require the same amount of “hey, how are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while” texts, work. We build our lives here. We are formed here. This is where we live.
The crucible of our formation is in the annoymous monotony of our daily routines.
-Tish Harrison Warren
It’s June now. We’re halfway through 2022, and this is an invitation to pick up the paintbrush, allow your shoe to touch the pavement, call your loved one, write a song, and plan the next travel destination. Start. And then tomorrow (or next week), do it again, and again, and then again. The year is not over. The time is now. Consistency is calling.
-L
Watch: I’ve mentioned Rajiv here before, but this recent video of him thrifting in Chicago inspired me immensely. I had to share.
Read: A Great Father: a poem
Listen: Sammy Rae and The Friends, Living Room Floor (Thanks Tayrn for the now on-repeat track)