There’s a quote I remember reading a few years ago that has stuck with me since: “Tell me what you did today and I’ll tell you who you are.”
This quote contains a few useful takeaways, but what stands out to me most is a lesson about consistency.
We know that consistency is important on a practical level for any worthwhile pursuit; it guarantees improvement, builds confidence, and so on. However, there’s arguably a more important benefit of consistency on a psychological level.
Each time we perform any kind of action, we subconsciously ‘cast a vote’ for the identity that that action represents and signal to ourselves that we are that type of person. The more votes you cast by consistently performing the action, the stronger that aspect of your identity becomes.
For instance, if you go for a run once every week or two, you have a vague sense of being someone who runs. When you start to build consistency and increase that to a few times a week, you begin to see yourself as a runner. As the frequency and regularity of your running increases, you cast more subconscious votes toward that identity, and it becomes stronger. And when the identity becomes stronger, it’s much harder to break the habit because it is a core part of who you are.
This is true for both good and bad habits, and it can happen intentionally or unintentionally. Be deliberate about the votes you cast.