I think we all know that consistency is critical to any real success in life. However, for those that know it my next question would be … do your results show that you know it? The reality is it is not what you say you are going to do, or what you say you have done, what really matters is your results.
Now I want to be clear, you can’t always control the output even if it is a good indication. However, you can control the input and that is what this article is about. This article is about how you remain consistent when working towards your goals because if you can crack this discipline then you will get a lot more of what you want in life. However, it is a skill and the framework I am going to share in this article will help dramatically, if you use it of course. In fact, it is the framework I am using right now to make sure this article makes it to you. If you’re reading it then the framework worked.
Anyway, I will get to the farmwork shortly. However, first I want to share this story with you …
The Parable of the Bamboo and the Oak
In a forest, there stood two plants: a mighty oak tree and a slender bamboo stalk. The oak was strong and proud, towering above the bamboo with its thick branches and broad leaves. Every day, the oak boasted about its strength, saying, “Look how tall and sturdy I am. No storm can break me.”
The bamboo, humble and quiet, simply swayed in the wind, bending with each gust but never breaking. It didn’t boast or compare itself to others, focusing instead on growing steadily.
One day, a powerful storm swept through the forest. The wind howled, and the rain poured down in torrents. The mighty oak stood firm, resisting the force of the storm with all its might. But as the wind grew stronger, the oak could no longer hold its ground. With a loud crack, it broke and fell to the forest floor.
Meanwhile, the bamboo bent and swayed with the wind, moving gracefully with each gust. It didn’t resist or fight against the storm. When the storm passed, the bamboo stood tall, unbroken and still growing.
The other plants in the forest marvelled at the bamboo’s resilience. The bamboo simply replied, “I am not the strongest, but I am consistent. I bend when I must, but I never stop growing.”
There are a few keys points in that parable I want to unpack, but we first have to start with …
DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT
Before you become consistent you need to know what it is you want to achieve. You can become consistent at anything but the thing you stick at will determine your results. For me it is a must to always have an indication at the very least of where I am going. Even in the story above the Bamboo knew it was a bamboo, it didn’t desire to be an Oak tree, it knew what it was and it ‘stuck to its lane’ so to speak.
What do you want? Yes in life, but specifically for your finances. Do you have a plan in mind? If not, is that the life you really want to lead? Where will you be in 10 years time? What lifestyle will you have?
I decided early on that I wanted financial security, that I wouldn’t leave my financial future in the hands of somebody else, and I wouldn’t ever dream of leaving it to the Government or anybody else to look after me.
I knew what I wanted. I know now what I want. Do you?
DRAW A MAP
When you know what you want you then need to figure out the direction of travel. This doesn’t need to be absolute, it is a direction, not a full blown route with co-ordinates. I allow that flexibility as you often don’t know when you don’t know. I love the last line of that parable above ‘I bend when I must, but I never stop growing.” Always allow flexibility but be committed to the end destination. At the end of this article I will share another parable that illustrates this point. But for now, get a map out and figure out if you are heading North or South.
For me, I knew I wanted financial security. And for me very early on I chose property investment as a way of building up a nest egg that would provide me income and asset growth – and it does. I knew when I started there was so much I didn’t know, and my goodness that turned out to be true which I cover in other articles but I knew the direction.
NOW FOR THE FRAMEWORK
I recently came across … The Law of 100. In essence it is a framework that says when you have decided what actions you need to be consistent with then commit to doing the action 100 times, no matter what.
Let me give you a live example ….
I have decided that I want to build a community of like-minded people. That is the commitment.
One of the routes I have chosen is creating and publishing content, and here’s the kicker … consistently. Now I don’t know if this is the best use of my time, I don’t know if anybody is reading these articles and if they are, if they are getting any value. But here’s the thing … this is about my input, this is about who I become in the process. Am I somebody who just tries a little bit at something and hope it sticks? The Law of 100 tackles that.
So, here I am, I have my Law of 100 template on my wall and I am ticking another box off. I am not thinking about the results on the way, I am simply ticking off a box as I go, I am developing the character traits and discipline required to help me achieve my goal. And the reality is I am about to go to a music festival and this is something I could easily do next week, I mean who would know? But on my wall my Law of 100 is to stick with this for 100 weeks and I don’t want to miss a week. If it were not for this framework I potentially would have left this for another day, and that is where it all starts to go wrong, that is when we drift and our goals and commitment go out of focus.
And I did the same for property investing. I knew I wanted financial security and I wanted income generating assets. I knew I wanted to invest in property as it is an asset class I can touch, feel, grows in value and one I can control. And then I had to do the work. I didn’t exactly know what work that was, but I stuck with it and I went way beyond 100 days. Instead I turned up consistently every week to learn more, do more research, go on viewings, put offers in, learn from others, there are loads of activities you can do in this area and in another article I will go into more detail. The point of this article is the consistency element.
The 2 key benefits of using the Law of 100 …
Develops a habit
100 times is not a small amount. If you are not really committed to your goals then you will likely give up way before you hit 100 times. So that’s what this framework will flush you. Right now in terms of articles I am still below the 30 mark, so I have a long way to go before I hit 100 articles.
You Figure it Out
Most people, including myself, struggle with the idea of a blank page. What specifically do I need to do, what are all the cogs in the machine etc? However, the reality is if you just keep turning up you figure it out. I will often go into situations where I am trying to figure out how to build something on the website etc and I know I have no idea where to start and I know it is going to be painful, but I also know if I just continue to turn up I will figure it out or I will give up. The truth is though, if you stick to the Law of 100 you will figure it out.
HOW CAN YOU APPLY THIS?
At the very least if you are committed to building financial security for you and your family, and I can’t imagine why anybody wouldn’t be then the first thing I recommend is you sign up and join my community, and, here’s the kicker, commit to reading my first 100 emails. See what you learn, really get under the hood and see if building financial security through property investment is for you. It’s only 100 emails.
If you are committed to your health, again, who wouldn’t want to be? After all, without your health your wealth doesn’t really matter as much. Commit to 100 weeks where you exercise. Or 100 days of walking for 10 minutes or more.
Hopefully you get the gist and before you finish this article you can come up with you Law of 100. And don’t forget to sign up to my email list, this is the place you can ask me anything, it’s what it is designed for.
I want to leave you with another parable that resonates with me. I am often perplexed that so many people think creating the lifestyle and property portfolio I have is somehow so big and hard, it isn’t, it is just about being consistent.
The Parable of the Two Merchants and Their Properties
In a growing town, there were two merchants, Henry and David, who were both successful in their businesses and looking for ways to invest their profits. One day, they both attended a meeting where a wealthy elder spoke about the value of investing in property.
The elder said, “Land and property are the foundation of wealth. Invest in them consistently, and they will provide for you in the long run.”
Inspired by this advice, Henry and David decided to invest in property. However, they approached it in very different ways.
Henry was patient and consistent. Every year, he used a portion of his profits to buy a small piece of property—sometimes a plot of land, other times a modest house or a small shop. He wasn’t looking for instant returns but focused on building his property portfolio steadily over time. Some of his properties provided rental income, while others simply appreciated in value as the town expanded. Henry kept reinvesting his profits into more properties, growing his holdings bit by bit.
David, on the other hand, wanted to make quick, large gains. He used most of his profits to buy a single large property, hoping to flip it for a big return. At times, his gambles paid off, but other times, the market was unfavourable, and he was stuck with properties that didn’t generate the profit he had hoped for. Between each large investment, David would wait for the “perfect” opportunity, which meant he spent long periods with his money tied up or doing nothing.
Years passed, and the town continued to grow. Henry’s portfolio of properties had grown significantly. He had consistent rental income from his properties and saw their values steadily increase as the town expanded. His wealth grew quietly but steadily, and soon he had enough income from his properties to retire comfortably.
David, however, found that his strategy of chasing big returns left him with inconsistent results. He did have a few profitable sales, but overall, his wealth hadn’t grown as much as Henry’s. The large property purchases often left him vulnerable to market swings, and because he wasn’t consistent in his investments, he missed out on the long-term benefits of owning property.
One day, David asked Henry, “How did you manage to build so much wealth with those small property purchases?”
Henry replied, “I didn’t try to get rich quickly. I simply bought property consistently, even if it seemed small at the time. Over the years, those small investments added up, and the value of property tends to increase over time, especially in a growing town. By being patient and consistent, I let my wealth grow steadily.”
Kelly Lemon
