Consistency over Intensity

over 1 year ago (Edited)

Today I woke up feeling extra energized. Determined to have a productive day, I began making my bed, brushed my teeth, did a shower, and dove into my tasks. I was determined to do more work than I would normally do in a day. In no time, I was spent. I became tired because frankly, I was doing too much. I had to slow down because if I continued at that pace, I would have probably become overwhelmed and still not finish everything.

Waking up everyday to put in a consistent amount of effort is way productive than going all in and burning out easily. Committing regular efforts over an intense burst of activity has a higher guarantee of long-term results. And this applies to nearly every aspect of our lives and not just work. It is better to show that you are reliable and dependent instead of showing instances of exceptional performance that is hardly sustainable.

Steady Progress over Immediate Gratification

The idea of consistency over intensity highlights the importance of steady progress, tenacity, and a long-term view for success. Taking one step at a time is more reasonable in comparison to jumping into a situation with both feet. It allows you the opportunity to monitor your progress, learn your strength and weaknesses etc.

I remember when I took on a copywriting job for a small start up, I created social media content that could last for two weeks of daily posting. The social media handler thought they knew better and shared the whole content in a couple days. It didn’t garner the anticipated attention and she ended up losing her position. When it comes to social media marketing, it is not about how many posts you make in a day, instead what matters is showing up daily. Same thing applies to every other aspect of life.

Instances where Consistency wins over Intensity:

Financial Investment: When it comes to making financial investments, maintaining a regular yet moderate amount of investment at stipulated intervals is safer snd more sustainable than putting in a huge amount at once. Life is all about risk however, making efforts consistently over time helps mitigate the risks associated with unforeseen challenges or mishaps that could occur.

Personal development: To acquire the qualities needed to improved one’s life, consistency is key. Improving the quality of your life by adapting certain habits requires a gradual adjustment. By performing certain activities daily, our minds and body gradually adapt to make them a habit. For instance, I used to find myself working extra hard in the gym in order to buy one or two weeks off. But that wasn’t sustainable for me, showing up daily and putting in work no matter no how little is a way better approach than working vigorously for a short while and then abandoning it.

Achieving long-term goals: When it comes to setting and achieving our goals, whether short or long - term, we are better off pacing our inputs at regular intervals. To attain our career or academic goals, consistent and steady sure wins the race. Without doubt, intense efforts may produce faster wins, but, maintaining progress over an extended period guarantees quality and longevity.

Skill Acquisition: To learn or acquire a certain skill, little droplets of knowledge go a long way instead of over accumulation. To achieve long - term retention, information is better accumulated at intervals instead of trying to cram the whole thing all at once. During my days at Uni, my pattern of studying during a semester usually manifests in my performance in the Exams. When I study at intervals all through the term, the outcome is usually different from when I only do all nighters right before an exam day.
Truly, consistency is more effective for skill acquisition and retention than intensity.

Conclusion

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. And what better way to do something well than to put in effort at a consistent pace instead of rushing to give all your best at once. Taking time is always better, and we learn a lot from it. We see and correct mistakes when we go slow. We learn what works and what doesn’t. Steady progress over unsustainable immediate result any time any day.

Thank you for stopping by. ❤️