It is a general rule, and my own observation that doing something once makes no observable difference in our lives. Let me share just a few examples.
One trip to the gym doesn’t make us strong. Eating one good meal doesn’t make us healthy. One connecting moment with a loved one doesn’t create robust relationships. One moment of mindfulness doesn’t make us peaceful. One prayer doesn’t build strong faith. One moment of thrift doesn’t make us wealthy. One act of service doesn’t make us saintly.
Nothing truly great is ever accomplished over night, with our first attempt, or by doing something once. Whether it’s our relationships, our faith, our health and wellness, our wealth, or our talents.
Contrary to some ideas in our current marketplace, there are no hacks, secrets or shortcuts to achieving great things. The path that leads where we want to go is paved with consistency.
When we discipline ourselves to do the small and simple things consistently, we continue toward our desired destination until we arrive. We can’t say exactly when we will arrive, and many of us arrive without fanfare or without fully knowing it. The imperceptible growth that grows out of our consistency compounds until we’ve accomplished something great.
So whilst one trip to the gym won’t make us strong, consistently going will. Whilst eating one good meal won’t make us healthy, eating good consistently will. Whilst one connecting moment won’t give us robust relationships, consistently creating connection will. Whilst one moment of mindfulness won’t make us peaceful, consistently being mindful will. Whilst one prayer won’t make us have strong faith, consistently praying will. Whilst being thrifty once won’t make us wealthy, consistently being thrifty consistently will.
Now of course we need to do more than one thing to achieve our goals. But most of the important areas of our lives only require a handful of small and simple fundamentals to achieve great outcomes.
So whether we want better relationships, better health and wellness, more wealth or greater faith, we must identify the handful of fundamentals for that area of our lives and then consistently do them.
I know of no other way and I am distrustful of those touting that they know some shortcut or secret way to circumvent the required consistency to achieve greatness.
Perhaps a quick word of caution for each of us before I end. Everything I have mentioned here applies in the reverse. One missed moment of connection won’t cause our relationships to fail or fall apart. One bad meal won’t make us unhealthy, one missed prayer won’t leave us faithless. One missed gym day won’t make us weak.
But when we do these things consistently slowly and imperceptibly we wander down paths and arrive at destinations we never imagined possible. Divorces don’t happen overnight. Obesity doesn’t happen in a day. Weak bodies and minds don’t occur suddenly.
I hope this helps make life sweeter.
All the best,
Matthew
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