Consistency Over Intensity

Something in the intensity vs. consistency debate must catch everyone’s attention. The image above drove 2.7M impressions and 23k followers on my Instagram account within a year in the 3 times I posted it (yes, repurpose your content, folks).

So, I wanted to talk about it briefly in today’s post.

But first, here’s a shout-out to my friend Kody.

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The Problem with Intensity

In reality, there is nothing wrong with working at something with intensity. There is a time and place for it.

However, my argument is that it’s not sustainable.

When posting the Intensity vs. Consistency image, several folks commented on how they prefer to work intensely in shorter bursts to get things done faster.

And though I can understand their perspective and I can understand that short sprints are useful in some scenarios, I still argue that intensity is not sustainable.

And ultimately, consistent & steady progress will move the needle more efficiently and sustainably in the long run.

Best of Both Worlds

Believe it or not, there is room for both intensity and consistency.

You will see long-term success if you can consistently progress in small steps.

But, sometimes, you need to work in a few sprints (maybe you have a landing page that needs to be completed before next week for your product launch, for example).

You are good if your sprints are not replacing your consistent progress!

It’s more fulfilling to work through things in small steps, anyway. Sprints make me exhausted, which is why sprints are dangerous.

Whatever you do, don’t let sprints stop you from continuing to take small steps forward.

Anyway, that’s all I had for today! I’m on vacation this week and enjoying wine as we speak!

Cheers.