Consistency vs Volume, The Difference Between Winning and Improvement, and Your Only Competition

Consistency vs Volume

A Thought

Consistency = small, daily efforts

Volume = huge, sporadic efforts

When getting started, consistency is more important than the volume of time spent doing an activity.

If you spend the whole day learning a skill but fail to practice it for the next three days, you are achieving volume but not consistency. Inversely, if you set a specific time each day of the week towards learning that skill, you are achieving consistency but not volume?

Volume should be increased once the bare minimum standard has been met on a regular basis. Start small, go big, repeat.

A Truth

Consistency causes time to work for you, whereas volume causes time to work against you -- a different way of looking at procrastination.

Taking a few small steps every day will get you further than trying to take a huge leap once a week.

An Action

Am I driven more by volume or consistency?

What can I do to become more consistent?

The Difference Between Winning and Improvement

A Thought

In the game of life, if you play to win, then every loss will feel like the end of the world. Instead, if you play to improve, then every loss is an opportunity to get better.

If your goal is to get that job, then losing that job will feel like the end of the world.

If your goal is to improve your skills, losing that job can be an opportunity towards discovering a new path and advancing your career.

If your goal is to be in that relationship, then losing that relationship will feel like the end of the world.

If your goal is to improve your relational skills and get to know someone better, then losing that relationship can be an opportunity to form new friendships and eventually discover someone who is better suited to you.

If your goal is to gain that valuable item, then losing that valuable item will feel like the end of the world.

If your goal is to have valuable items as an addition to your life, then losing a valuable item can be an opportunity to have more appreciation for the intangible things in life.

(This is not to ignore or minimize the pain of such losses, but to state the importance of how our perspectives can either keep us stuck or enable us to keep moving on.)

A Truth

Winning is about position. Improvement is about progression. With enough progress, you will eventually win.

If your goal is to win, losing will stop the game; but if your goal is to improve, losing will allow you to learn how to get better at playing the game.

An Action

What am I more focused on, winning or improvement?

How can I shift my perspective more towards improvement?

What is the one area of my life where this perspective shift will be most beneficial?

Your Only Competition

A Thought

In an ever-competitive world, knowing what to compete in is far more important than winning. Especially on a personal level, it is more important to compete against yourself than anyone else.

Competing against yourself is making sure that your present self is always striving to be better than your past self.

A Truth

Your competition is not against someone else but against yourself. It is against your thoughts, your actions, your habits, and your fears.

The battles won in private are far more valuable than any recognition gained in public.

An Action

Who am I competing against, myself or others?

What is one step I can take to start winning the competition against myself?