If consistency guarantees success, who do so many disciplined people still fall short?
That’s the contradiction both James Clear and Justin Welsh tackle. Each offers a radically different perspective on what ‘being consistent’ actually means.
Both James Clear and Justin Welsh are established in their own niches, and hugely successful and respected. If they say something, it needs to be heard.
You know what consistency is, right? It’s about doing the reps, day in and day out.
Everyone talks about consistency as if it’s the secret ingredient to achieving success.
If it was that simple, then how come we all have different outcomes even when we’re all putting in the hours and the reps?
What is it that you’re missing while being consistent?
What exactly is consistency?
For the average person juggling life, goals and the odd curveballs, the definition of consistency varies as per the situation.
Understanding an unambiguous definition of consistency may be the only way to bring about the shift needed.
James Clear: Consistency Means Adaptability
James Clear’s a big advocate of building small habits that lead to big changes.
According to him, in theory consistency is about being disciplined, determined, unwavering, while it’s about being adaptable in practice.
Makes sense. It’s about finding different ways to show up, doesn’t matter what the circumstances.
It’s about building the system of habits that alter in shape to allow you to meet the demands of the day.
The habits remain part of your schedule while it’s flexibility keeps you on track.
The consistency becomes fluid, adapting to the flow of your schedule.
Like on a tired day, you can’t get yourself to do you work out. Don’t skip it. Instead do a few reps at home.
Clear clarifies that consistency is not about doing the same thing every day; its about doing somethingevery day, even if it is different.
Taking a break or following an irregular schedule is not what will keep you moving. Rather it’s the regular steps, even if small, that assist you to reach the goal you’ve set for yourself.
Justin Welsh: Consistency Is Commitment
Justin Welsh views consistency differently. He explains that consistency is about effort, about showing up, about putting in the time.
You’ll be consistent only if you’re committed because you believe in your mission.
You want a better finish timing, you’ll train harder.
You want to write better, you’ll stick to your writing routine.
You want to grow your business, you’ll explore new ways to build it.
Doesn’t matter what imponderables come your way, your focus will not change. That’s commitment.
And that very same commitment will ensure consistency. You’ll find the time to put in the effort towards that mission in your life.
Your commitment fuels the consistency. You no longer look for an excuse for missing a day or slacking off.
The commitment becomes your motivation, your inspiration, your fire within.
That’s the reason those who depends solely on consistency fall off the wagon sometimes. They are so focused on being there every day that when faced with a disruption, they get derailed.
And getting back on track depends on the power of their commitment.
In short, in the words of Justin Welsh, consistency is about effort and commitment is about impact.
The more you’re committed, the greater will be your consistency.
Same Message, Different Lenses
If you read carefully, both Clear and Welsh are really saying the same things but differently.
They both agree that rigidity is not helpful under any circumstances. Growth needs space to develop and evolve.
Any form of growth, be it personal or professional, is based on constantly changing requirements and parameters.
You need to be open to accept the ever evolving ecosystem if you want any kind of progress.
You can’t run a marathon by running the same circuit every day. Your diet, exercises, distances, everything keeps changing regularly.
They both agree that life is unpredictable. Your best laid plans can get upended with a snap.
There’s nothing like perfect; it’s just an illusion you create to pacify your anxiety, your inner voice which keeps pointing out that you could do better.
Each of you have a different standard of perfection. Seeking perfection in an imperfect life is near impossible, maybe even delusional.
You may feel you’ve got it all sorted. And the next morning your child falls sick, the alarm doesn’t ring, or your car breaks down.
There could be a million other reasons. And you can blame any of them for your failure.
But be honest, are any of these the actual causes?
No. But if you’re consistent with your routine, you adapt to the changes and turn up either ways. The results will be better than nothing.
Both Clear and Welsh agree that consistency is in the actions and can’t be measured through the outcomes.
The outcome is dependent on the actions. No action, no outcome.
The one big difference is in the focus. Clear highlights adaptability in action, Welsh insists that it’s an internal effort.
The James Clear school of thought believes strongly in habits being the core of your existence. And these habits have to be modified as per the requirements in life.
If you’re a parent of young children, adaptability might mean shifting your morning routine when your toddler wakes up early.
For an entrepreneur, it might mean rescheduling a launch because your audience isn’t ready.
In contrast, Justin Welsh leans into commitment. Wake up, adapt if you must, but don’t skip the post. Publish anyway.
Welsh would ask you to look inwards and ask yourself how badly you want it. If you’re really focused, you’ll find the time and will do so regularly.
Basically, Clear focuses on ‘how’ you drive forward; Welsh focuses on ‘why’ you keep the engine running. (This sounds like Simon Sinek’s ‘WHY’)
The Takeaway for You
Both Clear and Welsh are amazing. They’ve years of experience to support what they say. When I read the posts by them, the debate became more than just semantics.
You can’t look at consistency as some rigid routine or habit. It’s the wrong and inadequate understanding of the term and its meaning.
It will make you feel like a loser every time you step back from the routine. And that’s not correct.
Life’s messy. A few aberrations are allowed.
But, on the other hand, saying that you must follow the routine when you’re up for it, or when it’s easy for you, will make you lose the momentum.
All the other pieces would’ve moved. No one’s waiting for your right time. So slacking off is not consistent action.
When consistency breaks down, its usually because – the why isn’t strong enough and the how isn’t flexible enough.
What I filtered from the two streams of thinking is for you to maintain sustainable consistency, you need adaptable action along with internal effort.
The first will ensure that the routine adapts to the changes that develop due to the inconsistencies of life. And the second will keep the effort supported with healthy amounts of commitment.
Finally, Consistency, Rewritten
Everyone talks of being consistent and whip up a list of dos and don’ts.
But when James Clear and Justin Welsh speak about it, pay heed.
That’s what I did. Instead of once again mindlessly consuming the information, I decided to pause and ponder.
What have I learned?
- routine is not rigidity
- your intentions must be clear before your actions
- you efforts will be wasted if not backed with commitment
In short, you don’t have to show up every day, you just need to show up. Instead of daily, weekly could work too only if it’s done with commitment and aligned to the purpose.
After all, true consistency isn’t perfection. It’s purposeful progress, no matter the pace.
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