A long obedience in the same direction

I’ve never been great at sticking to a plan for a long period of time. As I look to the future, I get distracted by infinite possibilities—and as I live day to day, I get distracted by media, notifications, infinite calls from the digitally connected.

But the only way anything ever gets done is through consistency. The only way I could write my book was to wake every morning and dedicate a little time to it. The only way our business has grown is through small efforts toward business development that happen every day. The only way value is ever created is through consistency over time.

This isn’t in contrast with having to keep up with an ever-changing world—in fact, I write about change being a core competency precisely because the repeatability and predictability of having to change is what is hard. Stretching the muscles of new thinking takes practice, and having rituals that remind us of what’s important can ground us in the swirl.

Reminding myself of this core truth today (and you, if you need to hear it too).