“If you BELIEVE it, you CAN ACHIEVE it”. I had this statement written on a card and stuck to my wall throughout my final years of high school and into my first couple of years of university. A mentor had written this message in a card to me as I approached adulthood, and I wholeheartedly believed it. However, in many decades since, what I have come to realise is that I can BELIEVE something, but unfortunately that alone does not lead me to ACHIEVE the said thing.
Belief is important. Without a doubt. Belief brings about the confidence and conviction that helps me to fathom that I can do the thing. As a full-on optimist, belief is not hard for me. I believe that I can make almost anything happen, with a few other key ingredients.
So, I want to partner belief with some other things, that demonstrate why belief is not enough when considering key ingredients to success.
Consistency is the number one factor contributing to success. The repetition of consistency involves discipline, which involves improvement in performance ultimately leading to your winning formula for success.
Let’s look at some examples:
Athletes- check out their training schedule- consistency is key!
Chefs- Signature dishes are made the same way, using the same ingredients. Variations from time to time may be ok, but then it’s not THE signature dish.
Brands- colours, logo,s and positioning are consistent for top brands. “Just do it”… need I say more?
When we apply a consistent approach, we have a better chance of achieving success. Using the model below, we can see how this works.
Moments– here we are analysing the thing, capturing the moment, and reflecting about it. Thinking about our approach each time we do the thing. What worked better this time? Should that be incorporated into the rhythm of these moments, or is it a lucky once-off?
Measurement – Let’s check if that variation in approach was a lucky once-off. This will require some measurement, over time. What happens if we add a bit of this or that to our approach? How does it impact our success? What is the winning formula, and do we have a pattern of this over a period of time with sustained success?
Momentum – Now we’re talking! We got it! We know what contributes to our success, and we put it in motion again, and again and again. Does it get boring? No. You feel excitement from all that success that emanates from your winning approach… Go you good thing! Don’t stop now. Unless you want to of course… But otherwise, go, go, go!
Maintenance– You’ve got your formula for success. Now you implement a few strategies that enable you to maintain your approach. Discipline, repetition, and CONSISTENCY. Success is yours! Until it’s not. If something significant changes in your world, and your formula requires a tweak, tweak away giving regard to the context, changing circumstances, needs, and wants.
Are you feeling concerned about your ability to sustain performance if you keep being consistent? Fret not. Our academic colleagues have checked this out and we’re all good. No seriously, research found that we perform better and experience increased well-being when we are exposed to consistently high levels of challenge, as opposed to fluctuating challenge levels. So, in essence, we thrive when we know what we need to do, and we just do it even when it’s hard. Consistency for the win here.
Consistency is key. It beats mindset as a key ingredient to success. Mindset and belief are contributors to success, but not the main factor.
Where can you drive more consistency in what you do?
Rita Cincotta coaches facilitates and speaks on individual and team performance, leadership development, and ways of working. She works with organisations to develop human-centred solutions that help people and businesses to thrive.
