Consistency is King & Queen in Startups, Business & Life

Lessons from archery class. Instructor recommends focusing on groupings and consistency. Then focus on “Gap Shooting” which is the process of shooting one arrow to see where it lands and how far from the target. Use that as a measure to focus where you shoot the rest of arrows to hit the target. It’s the same principle when you fire artillery like mortars and heavy cannons. 

Consistency is important to figure out what you are doing well and what you are not.  Everything takes time and you can’t count on beginners' luck in the long run. 

Works in Startups too. Make regular groupings and have a regular sample set. 

Your first investments will suck. Your first shots will be off. But you keep fine tuning ie. Gap Shooting along the way. 

This is why you have to practice and do something A LOT. I know the 10,000 hour rule Malcom Gladwell popularized to get really good at something has now been obsoleted. But the principle still sort of stands. If you want to get good at something you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on it. Too many people quit too early. 

How many podcasters or bloggers or Youtubers start off super excited but then drop off. These wannabe Creators or Influencers usually end up releasing 2-5 things but due to the lack of feedback they just quit. Seriously, most people drop off after a few tries and this is why most people fail at getting what they want. They lack the discipline and commitment to do something for a long time without the recognition and fanfare. (I should also add that you need to work on figuring out proper online marketing and distribution too.  The “Build it and They Will Come” strategy in this busy and crowded media world DOES NOT Work). 

The best goals are intrinsic ones: doing something that is naturally satisfying or gives you personal reward. When I started writing online, I committed to writing and publishing for a full 2 years even if no one reads it. I genuinely hope that people will read it and it will help them. But at the same, I also really don’t care if no one reads it. Why? This writing helps me personally by fine-tuning my thinking, processing all the things I see around me and acting as therapy. 

So the point: keep on creating and making even if there is no audience. Harvey Mackay is right when he says: "Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time."