“Consistency is something you choose. Anyone can choose to be consistent. But few do. If you’re willing to be the 1 in 100 people who chooses to do the work, no matter what. You can achieve enormous goals. You can overcome just about any obstacle. Things that stop most people won’t stop you. Choose to be consistent. To do a little bit of work, every day. Pretty soon, you’ll be farther along than most people who have started far before you. Consistency beats talent. It beats luck. It beats good looks, pedigrees, good intentions. Heck, consistency even beats quality. Consistency is how you stay motivated, overcome any obstacle, and achieve your huge goal.”

Consistency has one nasty antagonist: distraction. Consistency has one great ally: sacrifice. Achievement needs both consistency and sacrifice to counter the effects of distractions. Once the passion for success sets in, it is then that consistency and sacrifice make the greatest gains. All setbacks and failures are but momentary bumps in the road as I achieve my dream. Success is all that matters.

There is only one way to derail my ambition and that is the unexpected. Suddenly an event (or opportunity) comes along, out of the blue, that was completely unanticipated, calls into question my current consistency and sacrifice. For better or for worst I am confronted with decisions I never expected to have to make. This may only be temporary or long term but I am forced to deal with it.

Unless the unexpected becomes a part of my strategy to obtain my dream, it becomes my undoing. The ‘best laid plans’ are otherwise ludicrous.