The Most Important Principle for Enduring Success

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” — Muhammad Ali

Show up, show up, show up. Keep showing up. Every day.

Repetition is the most important principle for furthering yourself in your given craft or professional venture. Repetition beats down fear. It creates a routine, a repertoire that adds structure and wholeness to your life. It pieces everything together when you’re doing work you believe in, that adds value to your life and the life of others.

Repetition is no secret. So maybe you’re thinking, “Yeah, Chris, I know, I’ve heard this before.” It’s not that you don’t know. It’s that you need a reminder. And a push. And a process. I do, too. Repetition is equal parts dedication and persistence. Just talking about it or learning that successful people use this principle doesn’t matter. All that matters is if you use it and find success.

Quality always matters most. But using that as a given, it is consistency and repetition. Consistency is coming every day to represent yourself in your job, entrepreneurial venture, side hustle or creative art. Repetition is the “consistency within the consistency.” Repetition is driven by simply beginning then, repeating the process and refining your approach in a continual effort to improve.

Breaking it Down

Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality. — Earl Nightingale

Here’s the definition of repetition:

Repetition: the act of repeating, or doing, saying, or writing something again; repeated action, performance, production, or presentation. (source: dictionary.com)

These are the key ingredients that comprise repetition:

• Confidence
• Faith
• Work Ethic
• Determination
• Fortitude
• Persistence
• Dedication

Repetition is the drive we need if we are to accomplish the dreams inside that we constantly think about. It’s not always sexy. Sometimes, this is the part that simply isn’t very fun. But it is repetition that separates any successful entrepreneur, writer, software developer and marketer from the rest of the pack.

As I’ve written about previously, great ideas, alone, are not enough! It takes moxie, fortitude, faith and an unrelenting game plan. This is driven by your passion, faith and intelligent work ethic — one that believes in who you are and what you can become.

How Repetition Applies

“To become really good at anything, you have to practice and repeat, practice and repeat, until the technique becomes intuitive.” — Paulo Coelho

Once you get the ball rolling, you’ve made progress. Great! You just published your first article on Medium. You’ve gotten some page views. Now what? Post another one when the inspiration and creative juices get flowing. But please, don’t ever stop.

Maybe you’re playing guitar or the piano for the first time. You just bought your first instrument with your own money. Stay on those lessons! Play every day. Never turn down the opportunity for a gig, and the chance to learn from great players. Once you get the hang of things, eventually, why not record a demo at a professional studio?

Have a smartphone? Record yourself in great lighting and post it to YouTube. That won’t cost you a penny. Only time.

What about if you want to become known as an expert in your field? Say you love craft beer. You want to start your own brewery. Become a key player in this field by studying industry trends, reading blogs and even researching what makes great craft beers by style — whether IPA, Vienna lager or Hefeweizen. Travel. Keep learning and finding out what you need to.

Repeat this process with your approach and desire to grow each day.

Strategy and Timing

I encourage you to set up a weekly strategy and schedule for two reasons: One, having a strategic approach is important. For my writing, I establish a content strategy of topics I want to focus on, which helps me research, come up with ideas and determine what adds the most value to you, the reader. The schedule is all about accountability. Planning holds you accountable.

When you find the times that work best for you, this is where you need to block out distractions and discipline yourself. So if your boyfriend wants to turn on that new Netflix show at 9:14pm, and you’re planning to go to bed at 11:15, realize that you have a huge decision to make. Do you watch the show or focus on your thing?

You realistically have 1 hour and 45 minutes of time, of course before you need to wash your face, brush your teeth and tuck in under those warm covers! Will that be productive time for your craft or entertainment time? There’s no right answer, on any given night. Only you will know.

Which will you choose?

We all need time with our loved ones and in building relationships. But we need time for ourselves. We need time to “get our reps up.” Those 105 minutes are your time. This is often the difference between living life on your terms or someone else’s. Because results are all that matter, in the end. “It’s the thought that counts” matters for greeting cards.

Keep getting your reps up. Find your thing, produce high-quality work. Then, focus on consistency and repetition. Keep Going — every day!

Live Boldly!

If you enjoyed reading this piece, please be so kind as to share and recommend to others. Also, please consider following me here on Medium! My upcoming book on Values is due out in September. Contact me via my website here and join my newsletter for awesome updates if you feel inclined! Like my Facebook writer’s page here!

I’m so grateful for all of your support as I continue to dream and live out my journey. I fully support yours.