In my work with parents and individual adult coaching clients, I find most arrive at my office after trying various approaches to getting results.

They may have read or researched several methods for personal change. Others have mastered five different theories on how to get better results at home with their kids. Many will quote books I have never read or heard of.

Yet, despite these repeated efforts and a sincere desire to improve their situation, nothing seems to work.

1 — Consistency of Effort: The hare vs the turtle.

We all grew up reading the classic story of the hare vs the turtle. In that moral lesson, the speedy hare spasmodically moved about in a race with the turtle. His agility and speed were no match for the turtle. Yet, the turtle plodded along and won the race as the hare slept.

While perhaps the message that ‘slow is better than fast’ is not quite right, the core idea here is that consistency of effort is critical. For those who are often working to change, many approach change with a hurried, somewhat intermittent approach, wanting the results yesterday.

There is often a lack of simple, consistent day-to-day effort. This is the old-fashioned, somewhat gritty method of deeply testing a process or commitment to see if it........

© The Saratogian