vedica karnik
- Sep 17, 2021
- 3 min read

Consistency is Key

We have all heard this from our teachers- beta agar consistently nehi padhoge to phir exams me marks nahi aayenge.

And somehow teachers have always been right. Studying a little every day allows our work to be divided over the year rather than just a couple of weeks.

To put it very simply, being consistent means to dedicate your entire self completely to a task, activity or goal.

What happens when you aren’t consistent?

It's simple. You won’t ever finish.

Heard the term- finish what you started?

Without consistency, you will never be able to even get halfway, let alone finish the task.

Consistency is about growing, developing and learning how to make more of what you’re doing. It allows an individual to adapt themselves to new ideas.

Take for example India’s struggle for freedom. Had our freedom fighters not been consistent in fighting against British rule, would we have gotten our independence?

Same way, for athletes. No one becomes the best footballer or the fastest man in the world in a day. Behind all the successes are years and years of struggle, practise and consistency.

While consistency is the key to success, at some point or the other, struggling to be consistent in what we do is something everyone goes through. Meaning even though understanding ‘consistency’ is easy, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

As humans, we are wired to look for instant gratification due to which we fail to acknowledge that some things do take time and effort.

Imagine you are trying to lose weight and over the months you have been making a lot of progress. But you desire to eat a sugary meal like pastries, even though you should not. However, you give in to your desire for the pleasure of the sweet pastries. You are no longer in control of your brain rather it's the other way around - now your brain controls you.

This tendency is known as the pleasure principle.

The term was first used by Sigmund Freud to describe the role of the “id,” where he proposed that ID works on the pleasure principle, which assumes that people seek pleasure and try to avoid pain.

Hence we can say that humans are, to at least some extent, driven by the desire to experience pleasure.

But how do we stay consistent?

Firstly, it is crucial to know what your goal is. This allows you to have something to work towards.

Say you want to score 100% in your exams. You need to break down this goal and set smaller goals for yourself by making a timetable that would help you keep a track of what you are studying.

Be organised and systematic.
Keep your desks and calendars organised. This would not only motivate you to work but also allow you to set your priorities straight.

Ever thought about why Mark Zuckerberg wears grey t-shirts when he can afford clothes from the most elite brands? It's because he doesn't waste time in deciding on what to wear or on his appearance, instead he focuses on more important agendas and goals.

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