I came across something that said consistency is not about being rigid but instead is about flexibility, when the conditions are squeezing or uncomfortable, do I morph into the shape of a suitable solution or do I keep my previous form and accept that I cannot even half-way solve the problem.

The sentiment that finding partial solutions is superior to lack of deviation from the previous state is one that challenges me because I can find myself glorifying ideals of who I am in my head whilst the practical imperfect steps to achieving said ideals go unaccomplished.

Our identities are often tied to the things that we achieve in our lives and upon reflection, I noticed that I can be so attached to the end product or desired final state that I lose track of the step by step processes that lead to where I’m actually trying to go.

This perspective of seeing the imperfect steps as just as valuable as the imaginary “perfect” ones is an eye opener and it actually expresses a sentiment that i have been trying to word for a little while. Nipsey Hussle said in an interview that the biggest part to his success (or something to that avail) was just not giving up. The sustained effort over time is inevitable to bear fruit and then it lies with you whether or not the opportunities that come, you are ready for.

It takes flexibility to compromise and I think I can see both of those as negative concepts when in reality they allow for progress in the face of the fallacy that is perfection.

Flexibility can often be seen as avoidance of difficulty but I am changing this narrative in my head to one that reflects the value of being able to shape-shift with the limited resources that we have on this earth of time, effort and money.

Compromise in my mind, shows up as one of the villains in the story I tell myself but again I choose to reframe this because I understand that it was a skill issue. It is defined as an agreement made by concessions. My refusal to accept imperfection meant the perfection I cherished always stayed in the future and never became reality.

An analogy i’m thinking of to describe this is: the ball coming loose to you in the opponent’s box in a football (soccer) match; being closed down by a defender, your options are to take a slower, more intentional shot with emphasis on accuracy or take a quick toe poke stab at the ball where accuracy is compromised for power and likelihood of actually completing the shot. This lesson on consistency as flexibility i’ve learnt, says that you cannot score if the shot is not completed therefore instead of risking the defender closing down the shot, a toe-poke although less aesthetic would be more effective in the scenario.

This reminds me that in life, the “perfect” action isn’t always practical. That “ugly” goal could be the one to win you the match, or the league, or whatever battle you’re in.

At the end of the day, we’re all in a war with ourselves and each victory counts for something.

This leads to what the classification of victory is and what makes something a success or not. I hope this provides food for thought in your own lives as you read. Hopefully, we can continue to fight our inner battles with increasing skill and tact; redefining in each instance what success is and freeing ourselves from the deception of chasing perfection.

Deuces ✌🏿