Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if you could find a single solution to everything in the world?

A dynamic solution like that would of course come with a catch.

Because the answer is “Consistency”. And the catch is that, consistency always comes with “persistence” sashaying on its left arm. The two are inseparable. And tethering on a thin chord not too far behind this power couple, is the little boy wonder we all want – success.

Too much of an analogy? Nevertheless, here are some examples that will prove the formula works everywhere – be it in matters of the heart, sports, professional success, war or great life changing discoveries.

1. Refusing to give up

Hrithik Roshan, the Bollywood actor, launched his own brand- HRX. The brand, a personification of the man himself – a man determined to push himself to his extremes. Being born into an affluent family didn’t make the journey to being one of the top actors in Bollywood easy. From overcoming speech problems as a child to proving his doctors wrong when they diagnosed him with scoliosis and predicted he could never become an actor, Hrithik Roshan has crossed every wall life put in his way, reducing it to nothing more than a speed bump.

After all, this is the man who as a child practiced for 36 hours just to be able to explain to his cook exactly what he wanted to eat. And even today, in the midst of all his success, he still practices every day.

Consistency is not perfection. It is simply refusing to give up.

2. Fitness

If you are a fitness freak, you already know this. If you are not, then you should know, that running for 2 hours a day and then not running for the next 2 weeks will result in nothing but sore muscles. Sporadic spurts of rigorous exercise is strenuous for the body. Instead a steady but consistent increase in intensity will more likely give you better results. “Long term consistency trumps short term intensity” said Bruce lee, world renowned martial artist and action film actor. “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

A consistent workout routine also improves your mental health as endorphins released by the body as a result of regular workouts will enhance your mood and let you experience positive feelings.

3. Love

In any relationship, consistency is key. If you want to win over that girl, be consistent in your efforts, so that she takes you seriously. Lack of consistency could be seen as lack of interest. A man who is consistency will never have to complain about loyalty.

If you are a parent, then you know how the consistent presence and love of your parents (or lack of it) influenced you.

4. War: Consistency and the human mind

Robert E. Cialdini, in his book ‘Influence: the psychology of persuasion’ tells that, once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we have a “nearly obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with that commitment.”

A surprising example of this was seen in the Korean wars when prisoners of war from the United States gave away military secrets, informed on fellow prisoners and even publicly denounced their country, without being beaten or threatened. The prisoners were made to state mild anti-American statements, like the “United States is not perfect.”

The critical step was that they were made to write it down, preventing them from denying the statement on a later occasion, thereby forcing them to corroborate the same. Thus, using these mild remarks the prisoners were then pushed to expand on ways in which this statement was true.

Not wanting to be inconsistent they complied. To remain further consistent, they would agree to read their statements aloud in a discussion group and later maybe even record it as an anti-America radio broadcast. This then kept escalating until they completely change their self-image, not wanting to appear inconsistent.

5. Business: Branding and loyalty

The ultimate objective for any company is consumer loyalty. A consistent presence in terms of visuals as well as messages, will improve the top of mind recall for the consumer.

This is because, through repeated visibility and consistent presence, the brand and it’s product moves to the permanent memory of the consumer. And like in the previous example, if the consumer admits to himself and to another at some point that he prefers one brand over another, they continue to be loyal to the brand,  if only to stay true to their statement. Without brand consistency, customers will lose sight of the message you are trying to portray and vital trust in your business.

However, companies also need to be consistent with their services. No one wants to deal with a company they can’t rely on for consistency. With so many industries being saturated with competitors, inconsistency is often enough of a reason for consumers to take their business elsewhere.

If you are persistent you will get it. If you are consistent you will keep it. This is a principle that applies everywhere. Consistency shows value in whatever you’re chasing.

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hardwork gains success. Greatness will come.”  ~ Dwayne “the rock” Johnson

Author’s Bio

This article has been written by a staff writer at CEO Hangout and Trainer Hangout, units of Zaang Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

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