Consistency: The Power of Little Giants
When considering the concept of being your best and achieving peak performance, or in this case, performance excellence, most probably inherently start to gravitate towards the image or idea of “the end;” what it will look like, feel like, what it will be at the pinnacle of it all. While I think this is entirely normal and logically the first step, it does seem a bit ironic that it takes most of us awhile to really envision all it will take in pursuit of that point considering it will take us much longer to “get there” than the amount of time we will actually “spend there”; talking about the process more or less. I believe this happens for two primary reasons: 1. The majority of our motivation(s) generally lie within the notion of completing our Mission, not necessarily the steps it takes to get there (steps with no direction don’t really get us anywhere. Hence the Mission… duh! – also, quick plug to read the previous blog post on Mission setting if you haven’t already). But perhaps more significantly, determining and sticking with an effective process is HARD. There’s no fluff, no beating around the bush, it is difficult to find a process that works for the big things we want to accomplish in life, especially because most effective processes require a lot of investment in time and patience before the changes start to become noticeable.
Recently, I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading the book titled Resilient: How to Build a Core of Unshakable Calm, Strength, and Happiness by Dr. Rick Hanson (2018), and he uses an analogy that really resonated with me: Imagine a ship sitting in water. Now imagine you needed to move the ship. Do you think the ship will be more successfully moved by one grandeur push? Or do you think the boat will move further with a lot of little consistent efforts over time? The answer becomes pretty apparent that the ship will be better directed and redirected with the smaller consistent efforts and the same is true for finding effective processes in performance whether that be on the field, court, floor, office, or classroom. The small things become the big things with enough conviction and commitment over time. Here are a few guidelines that can help you better identify what the little things are that would help make giant leaps in the effectiveness and power in the execution of your process:
Identify what works: There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Odds are there are at least a few habits that have been helpful to you in the past whether or not they are exactly related to what you are doing now. If they are, even better! Start to build awareness about what has helped you be successful in the past. Maybe it starts with waking up a little bit earlier in the morning, maybe it’s about listing out a few things you want to accomplish today, or maybe it’s as simple as setting aside 15 minutes with a cup of coffee or book to yourself in the morning so you can reset with a fresh mind to attack the day. Intentionally think about what has helped you find success. Then spend some time considering what has taken away from it. For me personally, I tend to want to develop every iteration of the “what-if this goes wrong” idea in my head and sometimes struggle to move forward until I feel confident that I have game planned every scenario. I have learned that this is actually quite counterproductive for me and instead of considering all, I identify the 2-3 most likely “what-if” scenarios, plan for those, and highlight my abilities to get through them. This usually makes me feel more confident in my preparation and reminds me that I possess the resources to navigate almost any “what-if.” It’s relatively easier to identify when something isn’t working, but I find most people have a hard time pinpointing what IS working so they can purposefully use it to their advantage. Find the successes and build from there.
Keep your values close: There has to be an understanding of what is important to you because that will always be what drives you and enables you to keep moving forward. Values show up yet again because of the influence and power they cultivate. Values inform action and if we are talking about finding effective processes, all demand action (Gardner & Moore, 2007). However, identifying and embodying values is much more challenging than it may initially appear; it requires intentionality of sitting down and figuring out what qualities you prioritize most (i.e. honesty, relationships, health, personal-growth) and then determining what behaviors demonstrate your most prioritized values. This piece is so important for creating effective processes because it will help you understand exactly what you have to do to remain committed to who you are and who you want to be. Let’s face it, there are days when the seemingly monotonous routines are unexciting, exhausting, and maybe even dreaded. But that does not mean they are meaningless. When we allow our processes to be shaped by the behaviors that illustrate our values, we are more compelled to follow-through because we are committed to ourselves. The little things are actually pretty easy to do most of the time, but unfortunately, they are usually just as easy not to do. Using our values to organize and guide our path will help you remain consistent in your approach when the gains seem insignificant or even non-existent. Rather than letting the marginal deficits impede progress over time, allow the marginal gains to build up. 1% better every day adds up quicker than you think.
the compound interest of getting 1% better every day for a year.
Imagine getting 37% better at what you do. How would that change things? (image from Justin Sua, 2018).
Reflect and renovate: It is no secret that at times, the most frustrating part of performance is when “slumps” happen or there is seemingly no identifiable improvements. Sometimes I think we are too quick to dismiss the approach in its entirety rather than spend a little more time exploring what is still effective and what may no longer be. To provide an analogy, consider someone who wants to increase the weight of their back squat, but they’ve been stuck at a certain weight for a while. It is not abnormal to hit these types of temporary plateaus and it does not mean that the individual isn’t making progress even though they aren’t seeing the numbers change quite yet. This is where reflection is key. Take time to consider what you are doing that you can keep doing while also acknowledging what can be changed to enhance the process and get closer to the desired outcome. In the back-squat analogy, maybe it requires improving technique, or maybe it is actually a burnout issue and more recovery is needed, or perhaps other exercises can be included to prime the body more effectively. Don’t shy away from talking about what is not working, but also make sure that there is not too much time or energy being spent dwelling on those components when there are also components that are working. More times than not, it takes a minor adjustment to find a breakthrough in the “slump”, therefore, make sure to not dismiss the approach in its entirety. Acknowledging this is a very surface-level example, my point is to find a way to stick with it; be tenacious, but be patient. We often give the external outcomes more credit than we give the internal processes it takes to achieve them. Cut out time at the end of your training, competition, work-day, presentation, whatever and list out what went well first (Cox, 2012). Then acknowledge a few of the things you wish may have gone better. This simple, yet productive process will help objectify what is happening in a way that will hopefully guide you towards the things that help you perform well on a more consistent basis.
Direct the ship one little push at a time.
“Persistence is not a long race; it is many short races, one after another.”
AUTHOR: Stephanie Hale
References:
1. Cox, R. H. (2011). Sport psychology: Concepts and applications (7th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
2. Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2007). The psychology of enhancing human performance: The mindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC) approach. Springer Publishing Company.
3. Hanson, R., & Hanson, F. (2018). Resilient: How to grow an unshakable core of calm, strength, and happiness. New York: Harmony Books.