Small Steps, Big Wins: Consistency is Key

Every year, around this time, it seems like people start to fade from their new year’s resolutions, whatever those might have been. Maybe it was a commitment to go to the gym so many times a week, dedication to a new diet, promise of certain religious or spiritual goal, etc. The start of a new calendar gives everyone, quite literally, a “new page” to begin on and with which to create a new chapter in their life. We could do this at any point along the way, but something about “starting fresh” gives us a hope and belief that this time it will work.

Then we find ourselves here, frustrated at our inability to stick with the established goals, or just writing off the plan as too optimistic (what were we thinking?! We can’t do that). Of course, this isn’t the case every time for everyone, but why is it that so many of us fail to uphold our resolutions, New Year’s or otherwise? Some of us who are more “realistic” and know better don’t even make declarations because we know the statistics on how many new gym memberships don’t get used after about March. But that just means we aren’t even trying.

So, what’s the secret sauce to reaching your intentional goals?

Let’s talk about it from a workplace culture perspective, since that is what our team helps organizations and individuals define and refine on a daily basis. Just like people do, companies also make new and ambitious goals for themselves, sometimes it is a focus on culture and how they can improve the work environment of their team. However, businesses aren’t any more successful than individuals at hitting their goals because, spoiler alert, organizations are made up of people just like us. Upper management rolls out a new idea, curriculum, or HR strategy and sometime in the near future we’ll look back and see that it was just the “flavor of the month.”

You know why I think most human beings are just bad at reaching their big objectives? Lack of consistency. That sounds overly simple but let me explain. We can all get stuff done in the short-term, it’s our basic survival instincts. Whether it’s figuring out a way to pay the bills, getting a project done at work so you don’t get fired, or putting up with your in-laws over dinner because after tonight you won’t have to see them for another 6 months. Most people know how to survive, but it is harder to make the transition to thriving. 

Thriving takes intentionality and commitment over a long period of time. I know this to be true because if it was just status, position, money, etc. then there would be a lot more happy and satisfied athletes, celebrities, politicians, and artists. But to truly thrive, there has to be a consistency in place that gets you through the tough times, without losing that commitment. This is true on that cold rainy morning which gives you a good excuse for your first missed gym date, and it’s true the first time that leadership says, “I don’t care what our values say, just get the job done.”

When we trade a long-term result for a short-term one, that’s when it happens. That is when we give up our consistency and commitment to the big picture, in order to survive what’s going on in front of us today. I don’t think money or position fixes that, it just adds another layer of complexity. Not to say that it isn’t great to pursue financial security or a certain status at work, community, etc., if that is what you want or need then go get it! But a lot of times we believe the grass is greener on the other side when, in reality, the same mindset and decisions that can keep us from meeting today’s goals, will also derail tomorrow’s, even if those goals have a different title or salary attached to them.

So, my encouragement to you is this, stay locked in on the little things and consistently do them with excellence.

George Eliot was quoted with saying “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” I think she has a point there, because rarely in my life have I seen the biggest accomplishments come about in moments of grander, but rather through little things building up to that hilltop. We are all guilty of getting weary in the mundane, and it can be hard to stay focused on tasks or exercise duties that we find no excitement in, but patience and commitment builds a character in us that will reap long-term rewards.

I believe if organizations and individuals will commit to doing right in the small things, the big things happen as a result and won’t have to be “mustered up”. But the only way you can consistently experience a positive environment that drives excellent results in your own workplace is by creating a space where that happens naturally. Every business in the world has a culture, either an informal one that has been allowed to happen (good or bad) or a formal one that has been cultivated and cared for through seasons of plenty and seasons of famine. If you can make it through the hard times without wavering from your commitment to excellence in behavior and results, then you will be in a select group of those who are able to meet their personal and professional goals on a regular basis.

My final piece of advice on this topic is to surround yourself with supportive colleagues and be the same for others.

We are all going to have bad days and things are going to happen that are outside of our control, so at some point we might miss the mark on excellence and that is ok. That’s why we need a team who is locked into the same mission and can take turns carrying the load when we each inevitably mess up. No person is an island, at least not an effective one, so let’s build a team that can keep us from bailing on our long-term vision due to short-term headaches. Consistency is the key, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have to push the car sometimes.