"I'm busy!" - Consistency
Have you ever noticed that some people must think that they are the only busy people in the world? They use their busyness as an excuse for their tardiness or inefficiency. Isn’t it tempting sometimes to just blurt out, “I’m busy too!” With that said, I’m sure I have probably used my schedule as an excuse. It is very easy to do as we sing the great opera song titled “ME, ME, ME, ME.”
The same may be true for problems and issues that enter our lives. It’s so easy to be reactive under the stress of interruptions. Something may come up and it seems to overwhelm us even before we have time to process what’s needed to get done. We may not realize how we, at times, can allow busyness and problems to create emotional drama for us and those around us. It may help us to remember that most everyone in today’s world is busy, and that they too have problems. Think about this: most of the problems you are facing have already been faced by someone else. Whether financial problems, divorce, a stressful class, health issues, etc., someone else has experienced it and gotten through it– and so can you. We also need to recognize that those around us are affected by our attitude, drama or inefficiency that comes with balancing our life. Think about what you’re bringing to the table each day.
One thing that positively affects the people we interact with is consistency. Consistency is the emotional regularity that people bring to their daily tasks. Their consistency requires no preparation or defense on our part. They do what they need to do, without complaining, and add to the group’s progress.
Ed Thomas was a role model for consistency. Every day he came to work you knew exactly what he would bring. No day was different, whether it was early morning on a Monday or end of the day on Friday. He only brought enthusiasm, energy, and passion for doing his job. He did not share personal problems or complain about how much was on his plate. He could accomplish more in one day than anyone I’ve ever met. Can you imagine what we could accomplish if we had this mindset every day?
“Leave your problems in your locker.” That is what James Miller, legendary wrestling coach at Wartburg College, would ask his young men to do daily before they came to practice. The consistency created by this reminder eliminated any distractions that would inhibit daily improvement.
Consistency is an often-missed quality of the most highly successful people. It’s tough to set aside our stresses and behind-the-scenes issues, but it can greatly affect who you are day in and day out.