Streaks matter

I have a phobia for many rounds of interviews. By many, I mean five, six or seven rounds. I just really dislike it. It is time consuming, stressful, and most importantly, extremely uncertain.

My friend Mila helped me see it differently. She reframed the rounds as practice in consistency. Each one is a rep. With more reps, you build capacity. With capacity, you build confidence. And with confidence, you move closer to what you actually want.

This reminds me of a Robert Greene quote I memorized years ago: "Exhibit a remarkable confidence and people will think that your confidence comes from real knowledge. You will create a self-fulfilling prophecy. People's belief in you will translate into actions that will help you realize your vision."

Anyway, I digressed.

The point is this. I have been thinking about consistency beyond interviews. Life is full of things that require you to keep showing up. You cannot get tired and stop taking your child to school. You cannot get tired and stop paying your bills. Some things do not allow you to quit just because you are exhausted.

The higher you rise in life, the more responsibilities you carry. And the cost of breaking your streak becomes harder to recover from.