I run cross-country. The coach repeatedly tells us, “you can slow down, but never stop. You lose all forward momentum.”
In baseball, you can’t go for the big hit every time. It’s simply too error-prone. Baseball heroes aren’t born from one iconic hit; their fame is built by consistently getting on base and patiently racking up hits.
In many aspects of life, consistency beats capriciousness every time.
People overestimate what they can do in a day or week, but underestimate what they can do in 10 years with steady effort. Relying on heroic bursts of effort doesn’t only lead to burnout, but it’s also discouraging.
St. Francis de Sales says, “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew.”
Small actions look weak on day one. But doing them consistently creates a wave of force that is amazingly powerful.