The Secret to Consistency

Right about now, you must be wondering what this cartoon character is doing here.

Well, I’m about to quote him, so it would be a little rude not to have him here. The quote is this: “The tree falls the way it leans. Be careful the way you lean”

Damn, and that golden nugget was in a kids’ show?

The tree falls the way it leans.

Yup that’s the secret. You’re confused? Here’s the story… or at least my story.

I failed to realize how weak I am.

Most of us are weak, actually. We just get pushed around by the winds of life. Whichever the direction we get pushed in is what will end up being the outline of our lives.

Unsurprisingly, that’s how you become the same as everyone else: by doing what everyone else does.

For the longest time, I believed the way to stop that from happening was with sheer grit and determination all day every day. But I was wrong.

And I thought kids were naive for believing an overweight grandpa dressed in red could could fly around the world with eight little reindeer. (He would need a good dozen at least!)

I forgot that I’m not David Goggins. I can not go about every single day with only my strength of will. It’s not a consistent force.

Will or motivation is like the wind. You can’t control it. The only thing you can do is to adjust to adjust your sails. (Cheesy but true)

And you can do that by creating an environment that allows you to succeed. Because…. DRUMROLL - The tree falls the way it leans.

Creating that environment can take many different forms depending on your objectives and your life.

For me this is what it can look like:

Find a co-founder who would push me to be better (and I would push them to be better too).

Finding a mentor to who will hold me accountable.

Even finding a job will force me to stay on track, as I’ll have to show up every single day.

By taking commitments, you are forced to keep showing up, every single time even when don’t feel like it. That’s how you win.

I knew that answer- I just needed to be reminded of it by that yellow cartoon character.

And yeah we are weak and it’s not by going against it is that you find the solution. It’s by acknowledging that you’re weak, and keep moving in spite of that.

And then, only then, you have a chance of leaning the right way.