There’s a reason they say slow and steady wins the race.
While some search for the latest shortcut, growth hack, or way to game the algorithm, those who put in the hard work, day after day, and make a deliberate choice to continue to show up, no matter what, ultimately prevail.
Ask the most successful and admired leaders about their “overnight success,” and they’ll quickly dispel that myth. Instead, they’ll tell you it’s the culmination of many years of hard work and a deliberate choice to continue to show up, day after day.
Said another way, they’ve embraced the power of consistency.
Successful people have the courage and grit to keep going even when they don’t feel like it. Or when they’ve suffered a setback. Or even when things are going so well, they feel like it will last forever (but rarely does).
Though simple, it’s definitely not easy, which is why so few actually do it. Here are four reasons why consistency is your key to career success:
1. It helps others understand your value
Consistency sends a message to the world about who you are and what matters most. Without it, you risk trying to be all things to all people. And doing so lowers your competitive advantage and waters down your offering. Worse, people won’t know what to think of you (if they think of you at all). Because if you confuse them, you’ll lose them.
Consistency is about aligning and maintaining your “voice” and look and feel in all your communications and interactions. It’s how you present yourself, engage with others, and the way you move through the world. So much so that people come to expect and anticipate your specific point of view and unique perspective and understand how valuable you are.
2. It raises your profile
Consistency is all about playing the long game and resisting the latest trends, chasing popularity. Taking small steps every day that align with and showcase your talents, putting them to their highest and best use, is the best way to build awareness of your personal brand.
When you consistently share your wisdom and demonstrate your value to others, you also bolster your “know, like, and trust” factor, making it easier and more desirable to work with you. Better yet, it raises your profile as a trusted thought leader in your field.
3. It allows you to track your progress
The first time you do anything, you’ll probably be only mediocre at it. Make peace with that and focus on repeatedly and consistently putting in the reps, so you’ll improve over time. By sticking with it, you’ll establish a proven track record to document your results. Remember, practice brings progress, and if you give up too soon, you’ll never find success.
4. It demonstrates your commitment
When you continue to show up as yourself and for others, you demonstrate your accountability as a leader and human being. Your consistency also means you’ll earn a rock-solid reputation as someone who always means what she says and says what she does. And that dependability helps build and maintain trust, the ultimate currency of business.
