blah blah blah issue #007 *mandatory James Bond reference* blah blah
anyways,
there are no shortcuts to consistency
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a basketball player who’s currently having an MVP-calibre season in the NBA.
he also dropped the most accidentally-hard quote i’ve ever heard from an athlete — at least since UFC fighter Derek Lewis took off his pants pre-interview and said “my balls was hot.” (here’s the link, you freak)
recently, when SGA was asked how he’s able to perform at such a high level so consistently, his response was simple:
“my whole life is consistent.”
something about that stuck with me for days, and i finally figured out why.
everybody with goals knows that consistency is the one non-negotiable part of achieving them. so it’s no coincidence that high achievers across every domain seem to share that one trait in common.
the late, great investor Charlie Munger said it well (paraphrased):
“reliability is so important that if you were to choose one habit to guarantee failure, it would be the habit of being unreliable.”
i could go on and on with quotes and stories about how important consistency is, but you get the point by now. the real problem isn’t understanding what consistency is — it’s understanding how to actually be consistent.
how many times have you said you would do something, got off to a strong start, and then sat down and watched your goals fizzle away with your motivation?
how many goals have you had in the last year that you ‘forgot’ about to protect your ego?
‘i didn’t want it anyways.’
yeah, right.
unfortunately, the simplest solution i have for the consistency problem is one you won’t like to hear:
by definition, consistency requires meeting standards. that means you have to show up every day and do what is required without taking shortcuts.
if that sounds harsh — good. i need to remind myself of it all the time.
but here’s the good news: i don’t believe in binary traits.
it’s not: “are you consistent or inconsistent?”
it’s: “how consistent are you?”
every day is a rep.
every choice is a vote.
every step you take is another tiny piece of proof for yourself that you are who you say you are.
and the best part?
it’s unfakeable.
you can read this and feel good about yourself for 10 minutes, then go back to scrolling and wasting your time,
or
you can give yourself proof.
there are no shortcuts to consistency — you just have to show up.
some things i learned
litter is bad — but it’s also good marketing?
in the earlier days of Red Bull, they used to intentionally leave empty cans of it littered around popular areas of big cities to give the impression that everybody was drinking it.the ultimate cockblock
apparently, Calvin Klein’s daughter had a problem that almost nobody else in the world did. put yourself in her shoes. imagine getting intimate with someone, but just as things are starting to get real… what’s that? oh, it’s dad’s name in big, bold letters, wrapped around this person’s waist. no thanks, lol.an ego-booster for my YouTube channel
i’ve heard from a few different places that only ~12% of YouTube videos pass 1000 views. i’ve found myself feeling numb to the (relatively) huge audiences social media has put my videos in front of, so this is a nice reminder that i can be proud of what i’ve already achieved.
cool things i found + tried
pocket notebooks
even though i’ve been journaling for years now, i only bought my first pocket notebook this week. for daily to-do lists and little notes, it’s been a nice addition. if you’re curious, i got these ones (not an affiliate in any way).a top 5 all-time podcast for me
Chris Williamson finally sat down for a few hours with Naval Ravikant. these guys have both had a hugely positive impact on my life, for different reasons. in 2000s kid terms, this podcast is like when Disney would do those TV show crossovers and you’d see, like, Hannah Montana appear on Zack and Cody. definitely worth a listen (even if you only have time for some clips).i tried hot yoga for the first time
my girlfriend talked me into giving it a try, and i’d honestly do it again. it was a decent workout that i left feeling relaxed and loose — in a good way, lol. only thing i refused to do was the ‘happy baby’ pose.
honestly man i’m pretty comfortable in my masculinity…
just, not that comfortable.
anyways, thanks for tuning in again. i appreciate all of you (:
i have so many big things in the works right now, and i can’t wait to share them with you soon.
get after it this week!
~ liam