Magic Happens with Courage and Consistency
Magic Happens with Courage and Consistency
It’s usually right before you’re ready to give up that the magic happens.
Most people give up right before. I’ve seen this time and time again: with personal training, my consultancy, and in the startup world.
We expect immediate breakthroughs, and when those don’t come, we stop showing up. The real success in anything happens not in the initial sprints but in the kind of work that requires patience to keep going when results are invisible.
In some dystopian twist of reality, I’ve found that things get VERY very hard just before the tipping point.
As one of my favorite people, Tim Ferriss, who’s spent years experimenting with productivity and habits, says, “There is a direct correlation between an increased sphere of comfort and getting what you want.”
Not everyone is willing or able to give everything up in the pursuit of something bigger than ourselves, but daily efforts to achieve something we desire, even when we don’t feel like it is what defines us.
the power to keep going
Consistency Is a Selection Mechanism
In startups, including mine, I’ve seen founders make countless small changes, tweaks to product design, marketing messaging, and customer experience almost daily. Those who stick with a disciplined process of testing and learning often find success. Those who quit too soon miss the payoff.
My friend Peter Sims calls this the power of “small bets,” (and he wrote a book about this!) making repeated, measured experiments instead of rushing to big leaps. Consistency in these small efforts is how you find what actually moves the needle.
I was recently reminded again to continually iterate and keep testing, and to focus on the things that seem to be working even if it’s just small indicators. Over and over and over again.
Science Confirms the Power of Consistency
Research from Harvard’s Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies in human history, shows that simple, consistent behaviors are the strongest predictors of long-term health and happiness. People who maintained daily walks, ate balanced diets, and nurtured social connections lived longer and felt better. It wasn’t a matter of intense exercise or extreme diets; it was the steady, repeated choice to care for themselves.
Yale’s Professor Laurie Santos, known for her course The Science of Well-Being, teaches that lasting happiness comes from small daily habits that build over time such as gratitude and social connection.
Daily decisions repeated over time is quite frankly, boring at best, and feels insufferable at some times. Yet the science shows that the impact of these repeated small choices compounds over time, changing your life in ways you won’t see day-to-day but become undeniable in the long run.
Courage is the Secret Sauce
Maya Angelou said it best: “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
It’s one thing to start well when you’re motivated. It’s another to keep going when progress is slow, or when you hit setbacks.
Courage to Start — and Courage to Keep Going
Starting anything new takes courage. It means stepping into the unknown and risking failure. I’ve seen countless founders stall before launch because the fear of imperfection or failure feels overwhelming.
But courage doesn’t end once you begin. In fact, the bigger challenge is having the courage to continue when growth stalls and your energy is depleted.
The reality of any meaningful effort is that the early excitement fades, replaced by grind, uncertainty, and setbacks. The difference between those who succeed and those who give up is this courage to persist.
the FORTITUDE TO KEEP GOING
Almost Giving Up
I’m going to be very honest here, there were some moments earlier this year when I wasn’t sure I had the energy to run a startup. Despite incredible members and revenue my co-founder and I have still not paid ourselves. I don’t know about you but working 60+ hours a week with no vacations or weekends off, and not earning any money personally is a real slog.
It is not glamorous. Sometimes progress felt invisible. Sometimes I was so tired I forgot to feel gratitude for all the small wins.
I had a conversation with one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in the world to ask a simple question: is it time to walk away.
Not only did he say no, he reminded me that I tend to be impatient ;), that we were not even a year old, and what we are doing is incredible and needed. His advice can be boiled down to 3 things:
Keep testing, focus on the things that are working, and tap into the strength to keep going.
unicorns in the midst
Magic Everywhere
Consistency isn’t sexy, but it’s where real progress lives. This is the hard, unglamorous work that leads to success in startups, health, and relationships alike. When you push through the quiet stretch the magic starts to happen. (and it does get eerily quiet once you focus).
We all want magic and it’s actually possible. You can start by remembering what magical things feel like! And focus on something truly meaningful for you.
Take a big deep breath, have courage, and lean into a clear goal. It doesn’t have to be big, but it has to matter enough to you that you have the strength to see it through.
Tips to Build Consistency in Your Life and Work
Be Patient!
Be patient with invisible progress. Real change often happens beneath the surface before you see it.
Make Small Bets
Don’t overhaul everything at once. Focus on one change at a time, track it, and learn
Commit to the Long Game
Give yourself months, not days, to see what’s possible. Keep showing up, especially when it feels hard or unexciting.
Build Systems
Structure your environment so the consistent choice is easy, and you can automate some tasks.
Choose Courage
Choose to be courageous in your life, and you will be rewarded: but only after the day to day consistency.
As Marcus Aurelius says, “We should discipline ourselves in small things, and from these progress to things of greater value.”
I hope this post is a reminder to keep going, keep going, and keep going!
