On the other hand, the average, quiet person struggled. We only wished we had the talent these people had.
I concluded that only talented people could become successful in life. They would become doctors, engineers, scientists, astronauts, or some other profession that society valued.
We (the ordinary people) would live a normal life — a regular job, family, and living paycheck to paycheck.
I was sooo wrong!
It turns out that talent isn’t everything to succeed. It’s something else that makes a person achieve greater things in life. I learned that the average, quiet person can beat talent if they work hard and persist — never give up.
Here’s the conclusion I made: talent might give you a head start, but in the end, consistency and persistence win the marathon.
Talent makes you impressive. Consistency makes you unstoppable.
The problem with relying on talent
A talented person might do well in school and obtain attention from society. But when they come to real life, things are so different. School is just a small part of life. What happens after that is the real deal.
Let’s look at some problems with being talented:
- Talent without discipline is useless: Early praise for talent leads to complacency. When you have no work ethic, stagnation is likely to occur.
- Talent creates pressure: Once you are praised for your talent, you might fear not living up to others’ expectations. So, you avoid hard challenges to hide your weaknesses (everybody has them).
- Talent doesn’t survive difficulty: When things get hard, your true self shows up. You are only left with your habits.
There was a “gifted” student in my school. He was a senior. The teachers always talked about him and his A grades. He set an example for all the students at the school. Ten years later, he works as a bank manager. That’s it.
There was an “average” student who sometimes failed in the same class. The school and teachers didn’t treat him well. They thought he didn’t have a future. Now, he runs a multi-million-dollar business and is popular across the media. Lesson: he knew he was different than what the school thought. So, he worked consistently and hard on his dream of building the business. And he succeeded.
What consistency actually does
Consistency is this cliche word that influencers and the self-help gurus have overused. I know it’s easy to say, “Just be consistent, and you’ll succeed.” But cliches exist because they work.
Here’s what consistency actually does.
1. It builds skill compounding
When you show up daily to the gym and put in the reps, your muscles grow. Over time, your body changes. Change is bound to happen.
Similarly, when you work consistently in your business, job, or anything for that matter, you will become better. In other words, iteration leads to improvement—tiny gains stack over the years.
2. It builds emotional resilience
Consistency makes you stronger, grows your confidence, and makes it easier to handle tough situations.
You will learn to work when you are tired, uninspired, or unmotivated because you know that consistency leads to action, action leads to motivation, and motivation leads to more action.
3. It builds identity
As I said, consistency leads to confidence. Once you know your work, the ins and outs of what you do, you can talk about it with anyone. You can overcome any challenges that come ahead.
Your new identity becomes: “I am someone who shows up.” This itself is enough to build self-confidence. That’s because you have evidence that you show up, which produces results.
The compounding effects of small efforts
James Clear, the author of the best-selling book Atomic Habits, says,
Continuous improvement is a dedication to making small changes and improvements every day, with the expectation that those small improvements will add up to something significant.
Meanwhile, improving by just 1 percent isn’t notable (and sometimes it isn’t even noticeable). But it can be just as meaningful, especially in the long run.
If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.
That’s it. If you think consistency is difficult, try getting 1% better every day. That’s easy. You just have to become someone who does more than yesterday. Then, consistency will do its job. You don’t have to worry about the results. They’ll show up themselves.
Think like this:
- 100 words daily = a book in a year.
- One workout a day = massive physical change.
- One sales call a day = business growth.
The hard truth
I’ve seen talented people quit because of inconsistency. I’ve seen ordinary people succeed because of consistency. Here’s the truth I understood:
People quit not because they lack talent but because they lack patience. Success rewards endurance more than brilliance.
Ask yourself: What would happen if you didn’t stop for 5 years?
Remember, talent isn’t a necessity. You don’t have to be talented; you just need fewer excuses, more repetitions, and time. Talent might get applause, but consistency builds a legacy. Make your choice.
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Hi, I’m Biliz.
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