Consistency VS Intensity: Which Of The Two Is Better?

Over the short-term, your results depend on your intensity. Over the long-term, your results depend on your consistency. Consistency wins. Seldom do accomplishments come from sheer throttle. You can lift and sweat it out at maximal effort. Can you do it daily for years? Intensity tells a magical tale. Consistency tells of the hero’s actual journey.

Boring, Lonely, Daily? Yes

Consistency makes for reliable progress, day in and day out. You take baby steps upwards, building momentum, generating little stress and anxiety. You take steps which aren’t standout now to be standout later.

There’s no glamor in consistency. There’s no exciting promise. There’s no weight loss pill, get-rich-quick scheme, or relationship resolving spell. There’s no speed in achieving the grand vision. Easy to see why consistency takes a backseat in our always-on, fast-paced, results-oriented culture.

Appealing, Sometimes…?

Whereas intensity is attractive as hell. Pushing yourself to the limits for rapid results? Count me in! Six-pack abs in weeks? Insane revenue overnight? Body sculpting to lose flab without losing food made in a lab? Who do I call?

Intensity promises rapid results. Quick and efficient results. Results now. The billion-dollar business, the book, the fit body, the whatever, fast. Time is limited. Clock hands tick. Colossal leaps seem just the thing to make your life sick!

Does Intensity Work?

Eh… No. Intensity dictates you to suffer short-term, propelling with utter grit and willpower. Cool. How long will you keep it up? Are the results really going to be rapid and motivating?

“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives.” says Anthony Robbins, “It’s what we do consistently.” Those travelling in leaps and bounds are inevitably going to fall. Consistency compounds. Intensity rebounds.

Compounding Effect

Books aren’t written with intensity. They’re inked by authors who show up every day and get words in. Art isn’t created with intensity. It’s made by virtuosos who show up every day and let their instruments speak. Fit bodies aren’t sculpted with intensity. They’re achieved by those who show up every day and exercise.

Every day, every day, every day… Interest adds up. A wizard grants you a choice: would you rather a penny that doubles every day for a month, or one million? The penny builds a sustainable routine, momentum—consistency—and cruises, doubling by the day. The million sits in a jacuzzi, bathing in extravagance—intensity.

Timeline Matters

Of course, those familiar with the puzzle know the former is correct. Called the hockey stick, where if you don’t interrupt an investment long-term, the money picks up speed and grows a fortune. On the tenth day, you have $5.12. On the twentieth, $5,242.88. On the last, you have $5,368,709.12. The eight wonder of the world, compounding.

Long-term success is what you’re after? Consistency, the penny, is your vehicle. Short-term results? Intensity, the million, is your cab.

Habits Versus One-Offs

Consistency brushes your teeth. Intensity visits the dentist twice a year. Consistency goes out for morning runs. Intensity takes weight loss supplements and boot-camps. Consistency works daily. Intensity pulls all-nighters and works upon customer demands.

Showing up daily is the adhesive of your life. You win half the battle with routine. You make that book, project, business, fitness goal, diet, as simple as brushing your teeth. You get ahead because you actually get started.

Acting, Fast Or Slow

Showing up sometimes is… Anxiety and stress provoking. You can’t tell yourself you’ll write hundreds of thousands of words. You can’t dedicate yourself to reading fifty books at once. You can’t run a marathon thinking of the upcoming miles. You can write one sentence. You can read one paragraph. You can run one step at a time. You can do it consistently.

Consistency means performing regularly over a prolonged period. Steady pace. Intensity means performing with high effort over a short burst. Sporadic pace.

Constantly Intense

Consistency forms habits. Intensity coincides with motivation. Consistency builds self-efficacy through repeat execution and success. Intensity facilitates a flow state. Consistency leverages incremental progress from small improvements for long-term gains. Intensity creates a short-term sense of achievement.

The paths have their ups and downs. The key? Be as consistent and intense as possible. Be sustainability-oriented. Be on the lookout for small actions which outweigh sporadic efforts. Evidently, this approach saves you from burnout, physical injury, mental exhaustion, motivation dips, and outweighs intense bursts in many a domain.

Consistency > Intensity

Jog for 30 minutes daily. Don’t run a marathon once a quarter. Study for 1 hour daily. Don’t cram for 10 hours the night before. Write 500 words daily. Don’t write the entire book in a month-long sprint. Eat balanced meals regularly. Don’t follow an elimination diet for a few weeks.

Attend a networking event monthly. Don’t do networking marathons. Regularly spend quality time with loved ones. Don’t plan lavish vacations once a year. Meditate for 10 minutes daily. Don’t attend meditation retreats once a year. Regularly attend therapy. Don’t go to intensive mental health workshops.

Draw or paint a little each day. Don’t create an entire series in a short period. Tidy up daily. Don’t do a major cleaning once a month. Complete online courses over time. Don’t enroll in multiple full-time degree programs. Strength train regularly. Don’t complete a high-intensity boot camp.

The Bottom Line

In the end, both consistency and intensity have their respective places. Long-term achievement comes from consistency. Short-term results stem from intensity. Albeit, building habits, ensuring steady progress, and avoiding the pitfalls of burnout and unsustainability make consistency the more effective path. Your choice.