Consistently Good > Occasionally Great

My Dad always said a quote he heard from the Navy SEALs, “There are two ways to do something, the right way or again.” I grew up hearing this, but did not have the confidence or belief in myself to make the public claim via my senior quote that this quote is what I stood for. As a result, I ended up finding a random quote online that I do not remember today. I am different now. I accept who I am. I recognize my faults and see where I can grow. If I could go back, I would probably use my Dad’s saying for my senior year quote.

More recently, I heard a quote that has had an immeasurable impact on my life and is one I am trying to embody each day.

“It is better to be consistently good than occasionally great.” This quote was said by Jeff Cunningham, an elite running coach. Upon hearing those words, they immediately resonated with me. They resonated with me because at a split-second reaction, they are contrary to what you would think.

Initially, you would think that great performances are brought about by great preparation. That is a true statement. However, boiling it down a step further is where the strength of the quote stands out. Which is better? One very intense, long workout one time a week, or showing up for less individual time, in less intensity, and 4 times a week? I can essentially guarantee that over the long run, consistently showing up will take you further than putting in occasional greatness. Consistency is where winners are created. They are not created by occasion.

In hearing the quote, I reflected back to when I was a high school athlete trying to get recruited to play in college. Countless guys would show up for one workout and post a Snapchat story of their cleats, showing they had “put the work in.” I was never one of those guys; I showed up to work more than people knew and more than I wanted people to know. I felt it gave me an edge to work in the shadows. I lived the quote without realizing it.

The funny thing about this realization was knowing what I know now, I would change so many things about how “hard” I worked in high school. I did work hard but I know there were levels I could have pushed even harder. So is life, I have grown to realize these perspectives.

Looking at my current pursuits, a majority of them fall into the category of needing to be “consistently good” to win, compared to “occasionally great.” I want to read 36 books this year, which means I need to read almost every day. I can’t take a week off and bank on the idea that I will have 2 hours to “be great.” I want to run 1,500 miles this year. From a math perspective, that means I need to run ~4.1 miles a day. Each day I don’t run makes the end goal harder. I need to consistently perform to slowly reach that goal.

Consistently being good helps me progress in everything I do in life.

I am nowhere near where I want to be. If I look back at myself 6 months ago or a year ago, I can see substantial progress in my mindset and determination to achieve the goals I want to achieve. I recognize what has propelled me forward is not any singular bout of greatness. Rather, it is the consistent stacking of daily wins. Daily wins of simply being “good” compounded together have brought me closer to where I want to be.

It is better to be consistently good than occasionally great.