You need to be both consistent and persistent
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge
There is a sect of monks in Buddhism known as the Tendai Buddhist monks that are based at Mount Hiei, a sacred mountain northeast of Kyoto, Japan.
They have a sacred practice known as Kaihogyo, which is only ever undertaken by the most dedicated of monks, searching for a deeper connection with themselves and their soul.
The practice of Kaihogyo (circling the mountain) involves the monk arising at midnight and donning his white robe and straw sandals to prepare to make the journey through the night.
Over the next seven years, he covers 26,000 miles on foot, over 1,000 days. Each time he completes the trek, he must stop at all 260 shrines on the path and pray at each one.
The task increases in intensity each year as the consecutive days increase and so does the mileage, all the while he continues to carry out his daily duties at the temple.
For those who have completed it, there is no medal, no accolades, no glory, no Instagram post.
Only personal satisfaction.
Why is this story relevant for anyone reading this?
You likely aren’t a Buddhist Monk living on a mountain in Japan.
The point is what humans are capable of and what is needed to achieve great feats.
“Great” is subjective to all of us. It isn’t about world domination, being a superstar athlete or the world's richest person.
It’s about finding what that means to you on an individual level and going for it. Whether it’s getting a new job, a promotion, starting a business, running a marathon, or building your dream home. It is all down to you.
The thing is though, you need to turn up, day after day and do something that brings you closer to that.
One thing we have control over is our effort, how we show up. At times it can feel like we can’t control it but we all know we are just making excuses for ourselves.
In the story about the monk, he showed up day in, day out for seven years. Travelled tens of thousands of miles on foot.
If he can do that, can’t you sit down and write for 30 minutes a day? Or, read 20 pages of a book a day? Or, work towards creating content daily?
Whatever it is you are in pursuit of, you can give something to it consistently. If you really want to.
If you can’t, then do you truly want that thing?
Whatever you decide, either commit fully or not at all.
"Consistency is the true foundation of trust. Either keep your promises or do not make them." – Roy T. Bennett
This week…
I saw a tweet this week (here)
“In Business: Politeness is good, but Directness is better.”
There seems to be a general idea out there that you can either be polite or you can be direct.
That one can not exist without the other.
I believed this idea to be true for a long time.
That blunt force was the way to get things done. Not having that personality type meant I felt discouraged at my prospects in the positions I aim to be in the future.
Some people are too polite, and unable at times to get their point across (I have fallen into that category sometimes). Meaning they had to suffer through the conversation again at a later date.
Others assume that in order to be direct, you must be blunt, to the point and most likely rude.
There is a way to be polite, but direct with what you say. Like anything else, it is a skill that can be learned.
You just have to find the right approach and work at it.
For some, it means leaving their comfort zone regularly until it becomes second nature. There will be growing pains.
For others, patience will be needed and an ability to hold their tongue.
Dealing with people is what business is all about. Learn to do so effectively and you will see progress.
Food for thought…
“Over is the beginning of under.” - Japanese Accounting Saying
The idea is simple, overspending is usually the beginning of the business going under if it is continued.
The same can be said for how we look after ourselves. Excess, usually if not always leads to negative results.
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"Culture trumps talent. Talent will get you a long way, but culture will get you further." - Steve Hansen (New Zealand All Blacks Coach)
Book Recommendation…
Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us about the Business of Life
James Kerr’s book is about the New Zealand (All Blacks) rugby team, the most successful winning sports team across all sports in history. The principles they live by have helped them achieve this over more than 100 years of their existence and have become a part of the culture of the team.
The ideas in the book are timeless and we can all learn from them on both a personal and professional level.
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