You’ve probably seen the movie Groundhog Day. Right?
Maybe it’s because I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Or because my family is a ‘golf family’. Or because when I root for a baseball team, it’s the Cubs (always).
Yes, you could say I have a weird affinity for this movie and its main star.
But think about the premise – a guy gets stuck in a continuous time loop of his most-annoying day of the year, so that he can learn from his mistakes and do better.
What Phil Connors does is take advantage of the ability to repeat the same day over and over again to try out new ways to experience life. Once he gets over the thrill of binge drinking and driving into quarries, he decides that maybe this is his chance to do right by himself and those he touches. He consistently ups his game to be a better human.
Consistency is the key to building a business too. You heard that right, the key to a successful, sustainable business isn’t a secret formula that will magically click one day and then your business will go into set-it-and-forget-it mode.
Trying and trying and trying some more to put yourself out there is how you get to that success you’ve envisioned for your career.
Repetition is how we:
– practice, gain confidence and get better.
Think about when you were a child for a moment. Did you just know how to walk straight away? No, a toddler tries (and falls) a lot before she can consistently stay upright and moves about a room on her two feet. Without repeating that action everyday, a child doesn’t learn how to walk.
– know what is working and what is not.
Say you’re running a Facebook ad campaign. You can’t really know if it is successful or not after one day. Repeating the campaign over the course of a month or two or three, with small tweaks along the way, will better inform you to if Facebook campaigns are right for your business.
– take uncomfortable actions that we can’t even comprehend today.
The more we do something, the more routine and less scary or out-of-the-norm it feels. I have a client who was terrified to make videos for her blog. She started small and edged up against her comfort zone. Over the course of many months, she created and published several videos as a way to connect with her audience. Today, videos make a regular appearance on her website. The thought of making a video to show the world doesn’t freeze her into inaction. And now, she’s on the next uncomfortable, but rewarding action to grow her business.
It’s that simple – show up, do the work, repeat, learn.
Where do you need more consistency in your business or life? What is one small action you can commit to do today and tomorrow and the next day that will set you up for success? Declare it in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear what it is.