Yin vs YangThe Battle for Success in Life

What does it mean to be truly ‘great’ at something?

People talk all the time about how they want to be great, but what exactly are they hoping for?  It’s not always the same b/c people’s definition of greatness varies.  However, there is one quality that is found in all great people.  It is the one quality that we all should strive for as our top priority, yet many of us never do.

Before we get to the quality though, let’s define greatness.  Oxford American dictionaries defines it as ‘the quality of being great, distinguished or eminent.‘  Basically I would interpret that to mean being well known for your continued success.  To be great, you have to be better than everyone else.  You have to raise the bar to a new level of success by continually winning time and time again.

True greatness in any competitive field varies from person to person.  Everyone has different qualities that make them successful.  Some are patient, while others are agressive.  Some are smart while others are relentless.  There are many different qualities that can stand out as the quality that makes them successful.  However, there is one quality they must all have.  It is the one quality we all need to strive for above anything else.  That quality is ‘consistency.’

Consistency is the one quality all great people must have.  Michael Jordan wasn’t great for winning one championship.  Tiger Woods wasn’t great after winning one major.  Donald Trump wasn’t great for making one deal.  All of these great men stayed consistent.  They stuck to their guns and played their respective games at an unparalleled level of consistent greatness.  All have had their ups and downs, but kept on pushing.  Greatness wasn’t something that happened by chance.

I know that I used to overlook consistency.  For instance, if I was hitting baseballs in a batting cage, I was always trying to hit one great shot instead of learning to be consistent with my approach.  Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) taught me this lesson physically.  In BJJ, as you rise in level, you can’t continue to just try and apply a move. So I can’t just go for an arm bar all at once.  I have to fight battles and use tricky set-ups in order to execute each step of the move.  I have to be consistent in my approach so I can reach a level of execution that is almost unstoppable.  The same is true in life.

The best BJJ guys in the world don’t just throw you on the ground an beat you up.  They consistently use the same moves.  You may know they are coming, but you are not stopping it.  It consistently works, they consistently win, and that is the definition of greatness.

That’s why consistency is the most important and common quality in great people.  It’s what we should all strive for.  So don’t say ‘I want to be great….’.

From now on it’s ‘I want to be consistent.’