Have you ever watched the World’s Strongest Man event of the vehicle pull? When I mention vehicle pull, we’re not talking about some small electric car but instead these men are pulling firetrucks, trams, and even planes. It seems like it’s not even humanly possible. If you’ve ever had a chance to watch this event, you’ll notice the time it takes to cover the first half of the distance is a lot more than the time it takes to finish the second half. You would think the competitor would get fatigued and slow down the second half so why do they finish typically so much faster than they started?

Momentum. It all starts with consistent steps and pulls forward little by little that creates a small amount of momentum. And then the consistent steps and pulls forward continue and more momentum is created. Soon the momentum takes over and barely noticeable steps forward become long strides ahead. It’s the consistency of the effort to move forward that continuously builds the momentum.

If the World’s Strongest Man competitor decides to take a break from his consistent pull forward, a great deal of momentum is lost, and they almost feel like they are starting from the beginning. But if the steps and pull forward happen consistently, the momentum continues to build on itself until the point where the vehicle almost seems to be moving itself.

Now while we may not exactly have a plane strapped to us in life that we have to worry about moving forward, it doesn’t mean that consistency isn’t still a difficult thing to execute over a long period. It’s so easy to justify taking a break from working out. It’s easy to justify letting up at work. It’s easy to justify pulling back on how much you’re involved in your community. There will never be a shortage of reasons to break consistency.

But it’s important to understand what we miss out on when we let go of consistency. Two key things that I believe consistency drives (and we’d miss out on if we say goodbye to consistency) are momentum and the ability to develop a habit.

Momentum: consistency provides the opportunity to step forward in every situation. Now that step forward may not even be noticeable. Especially in the beginning striving for something greater, you may not see it and no one else may see that step forward. But it’s there. And it’s there because your mind is telling your body that regardless of the circumstances, you will be consistent. When movement forward continues to happen, the power of momentum starts to develop. And the more consistency that brings us forward, the more momentum that will be generated. And then more momentum. And more. And suddenly the barely noticeable small steps became giant leaps.

Habits: habits aren’t formed unless behavior is consistent. You can’t have a good diet without analyzing and eating the right foods for your body on a consistent basis. You need consistency to form a habit of balanced and nutritional eating. You can’t be a good leader without consistently working on coaching your team, articulating a clear vision, and connecting with others around the organization. It’s the consistency of these behaviors and actions that soon form a habit to become your normalcy. The key is consistency.

Consistency is hard. There will never be a shortage of excuses to stop being consistent but it’s critical we understand if we want to create strong momentum and we want to develop a specific habit, consistency is necessary. The excuses can be an anchor so mentally find a way to unhook the anchor of excuses and understand the why consistency can be a difference maker in your journey.

Take your step: is there something in your life you’re trying to achieve but feel like you don’t have the momentum needed for the level of success you want? It’s common. And often it’s because the term consistency isn’t part of the approach. There are pockets of consistency but not the longevity of consistency you need for what you’re striving for. It’s hard for us to admit this but also necessary to understand how critical consistency is. Continue to remind yourself that during tough times consistency is needed to develop the right habit and generate a ton of momentum.