Show Up, Every Day. Be consistent.

Show Up, Every Day

Reference: https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/06/24/show-up-every-day/

It’s easy to look at the moments of key progress. When your income is growing, when you’re finally losing weight, or when you ace that difficult final exam. But it is more important to focus on the moments of zero growth. Where you’ve gone to the gym for months without seeing improvements, worked hard at a job and get no recognition.

Because, in the moments of stagnation some people give up, and some people keep showing up day after day. And even though they aren’t making progress in the moment, the latter group are more likely to succeed.

Why the Gym is Crowded in January

In the first few weeks of January, the gym is bloated with people who have just bought new year-long memberships. But, by February, most of those people have left and it’s just the regulars who go every day.

Stop looking for moments of progress. Once you stop tasting improvement, are you going to give up?

The people who go every day will keep going even when they don’t make progress for months, or even years. While it may not be as glamorous as losing 30 lbs in a month, or building muscle in a few weeks, they are more likely to succeed.

Why students who do cram sessions fail their classes

In university, many students who coast through their classes, and tackle epic studying sessions a week before the exam. They might invest 12-hour days studying right before a final. Anecdotally, many of the students who study this way are disappointed by their grades.

Compare that to the people that study consistently for a few hours each day and avoid the cram sessions. Not glamorous or intense, but they show up, every day. These are also the people with enviable GPAs.

The One Decision Life Boils Down To

A good portion of life boils down to one decision: to show up or do nothing. You can’t do everything, but you can pick a few things you give a damn about and show up for them every day.