Hi, I’m
Sam,
It
may seem as though saying "Be consistent" is one of the basic
requirements for becoming a motivational speaker. That is a phrase used so much
by official as well as unofficial motivational speakers. And as watered down as
it may seem, that is one thing everyone needs to hold dear to their heart and
always remember while doing anything. It's been said so much that it may sound
like it has no value but consistency really is everything. Consistency will help put
your foot into rooms you didn't even know existed let alone knock on. Inconsistency
is like a disease you get on your own, you fight it and overcome it all alone.
It is a battle you cannot enlist anyone to help you with when you're not ready
to face it head-on. While dealing with inconsistencies, you will stumble and
fall and you will have two options, pity yourself, whine, and stay down, or get
up and keep going. Sometimes the cheers from outsiders are audible enough to
encourage you, sometimes it’s not even there and the worst can be when it is
there, loud enough for you to hear and ultimately gets into your head.
I
also think lack of consistency leads to misplaced identity – lack of integrity,
it makes it quite difficult for people to tell what kind of person you really
are and that can be very unsettling for a lot of people. Everyone can take you
however you appear but find it very difficult to speak about the real you and
as such will definitely find it unsettling to trust you or relate with you at
the highest genuine level.
I
have asked myself more than a couple of times what has my lack of consistency
cost me. It is very possible that my lack of consistency if not anything has
prolonged my achievement speed/ times. It has taken me double if not more to
achieve certain things. There is an Igbo adage that says "Mmiri dooro na
Eju dooro nwa nkita" which loosely translates to “Anything you leave
undone remains your responsibility”, it will always wait for you to come around
and handle it, no matter how long you decide to play around. Inconsistencies
slow you down which ultimately slows down whatever is attached to whatever
requires your consistency which also slows down people whose success is
attached to yours one way or another. Apart from slowing down the achievement
process, inconsistencies reduce the quality of experience and ability to do
something. Practice they say, makes better which means the less you do
something reduces your ability to get better at that particular thing, there
are no mistakes to correct and learn from.
It
is very possible to be lazy while on your journey to consistency. No one wakes
up with the same level of energy every single day, some days you wake more
inspired than ever, and some days you lay flat on the bed questioning the
essence of it all. But trying your best to stay consistent even when the ground
is not leveled or the spirit is not high is where you find your spirit and
level of consistency.
Your
level of consistency shows not only in your pursuit of career goals, it is also
noticeable in your relationship with people, people respond in most cases to
the level of commitment you put into the relationship, and you have to stay
consistent in building relationships with people. Confusion and frustration set
in when you decide to let your inconsistencies shine through, people find it
difficult to vouch or reciprocate your energy.