Consistency creates skill. It’s the most underrated driver of success. I can’t stress this key to mastery enough.
You can become a better creative artist or more successful at what you do if you focus on the process instead of the finite outcome.
A commitment to a better work process or system can do more for your career over the long term.
Robin Sharma explains it beautifully, “To arrive at a place called Mastery, you must commit to daily and rigorous practice. Enjoy practicing your craft for its own sake without turning your attention to your ultimate destination. Understand, once and for all, that the journey is as important as the destination.”
A great start is knowing how you want to spend your time, who you want to spend it on, and what tools you need for the job. But ultimately, you have to practice your craft. You have to do the work.
If you feel stuck in your creative work, you are probably paying too much attention to the outcome and not enough to the daily practice.
It can be frustrating when we work hard and see no results. But that’s just not how becoming better at what you do works!
Mastery comes from making progress towards the desired outcome and finding joy in the process of getting there.
We live in a world where many people are taught to focus on the outcome. We are constantly encouraged to think about what we want, what we need, and the conventional ways to get results. But the outcome mindset can take your attention from the details that matter.
It’s the messy middle that delivers the results we want
“What we call ‘mastery’ can be defined as that mysterious process through which what is at first difficult or even impossible becomes easy and pleasurable through diligent, patient, long-term practice,” says George Leonard.
If you’re focused on the process, not the outcome, you’re more likely to keep going when things get complicated. Thinking about how far you’ve come will make it easier for you to take that next step. Staying consistent changes careers. However, being consistent can be challenging.
Here’s a better approach to accumulating daily wins:
- Identify your end goal and break it down into smaller steps.
- Next, decide how often you’re going to take those steps each day.
- Lastly, make sure you stick with your action or commitment plan! Don’t break the chain. If you do, take steps to get back to winning ways.
It’s essential to be consistent with your practice. You don’t need to focus on just hitting one massive goal or completing an intense practice to see results. You simply need to show up and do what you can, every time.
And focus on a consistent practice like you would if you were trying to maintain an exercise routine, build a side hustle or keep a relationship strong.
You become good at anything by staying on the path year after year without losing focus.
You become a master by immersing yourself in your art and falling in love with the process without fixating on the outcome. As long as you are consistent with your daily practice, you will move the needle and get closer to your desired outcome.
A successful life is not about making giant leaps — it’s about taking better steps daily, investing in good habits and designing a productive system that can serve you year after year. Your creative mastery journey is about making small changes that will eventually make all the difference in your life.
