Have you ever decided to do something (learn to play an instrument, learn a language, lose weight, etc.) and then realized that success does not happen just because you stated a goal and worked at it for a period of time? You now realize, Wow, this is going to be difficult, and it will not happen overnight.
Ask any person who you perceive as an overnight success, and you will get the real story. Success takes a long period of time, and the most important ingredient to success is consistency. Consistency of purpose. Consistency of belief in one’s self. Consistency of action. Consistently believing in the possibility that your dream will come true as long as you follow your purpose, believe in yourself, and keep acting as though it will all come to be.
I recently went to a lunch at which Kayla Banwarth was the keynote speaker. Kayla is a US Olympic Bronze Medal winner and libero and University of Nebraska-Lincoln assistant volleyball coach. One of her primary messages was that you need to know what your purpose, reason, mission, and/or goal is. Once you know that, you need to focus on it consistently.
Kayla had a goal. Her goal was to play in the Olympics—not exactly an easy goal to reach. Of course, playing for a high-caliber team like the Nebraska Huskers was a great start. However, she was not selected as an All-American nor did she make the All-Conference team—she still had her own mountain to climb.
She faced many obstacles. One time, she was hit in the face with a volleyball during practice. In fact, over the course of the week, she was hit in the face three times. At one point, there was even bleeding around the eye and a concussion (how many of us would consider quitting?). How about the wear and tear on—and pain in—her shoulder from the constant swing and hit of the volleyball (would you quit now?). Then there is the play and travel all across Europe. It may sound like fun, but what if it involved playing on three different teams in three different countries (ready to quit yet)? If you’re not quite ready to quit, would you be willing to spend Christmas away from your loved ones to achieve your goal? Kayla did. She ate macaroni and cheese for her Christmas dinner, worked on a puzzle alone, and cried. Why? Exactly!—because of her “why.” The consistency of playing volleyball, whenever and wherever, was necessary to develop her skills to be an Olympic volleyball player. As a result, she was rewarded with not only being on the team but also actually having playing time, helping the team to earn a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic games.
What is your consistency plan? Is your “why” strong enough to drive you to the consistency necessary to achieve your goals?
Congratulations to Kayla on her achievements! And to you, keep up the consistent work, and you, too, will likely achieve your own goals and reach significant milestones!
Blessings, my friend!
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