Progress Demands Change, Not Consistency

When Consistency Becomes a Cage

“Be consistent,” we have been told. Wake up at 5 a.m., drink the same green juice, post your daily motivational quote, and grind like a machine. 

Sounds impressive, but let’s be honest - donkeys have been doing that forever. They walk the same road every day, carry the same load, and never once stop to ask, “Boss, why are we even going this way?”

We all know this person - the one who takes pride in doing things the same way, year after year. The kirana shop opens at 9:00 a.m. sharp, the racks are stacked with the same Parle-G packets and Nirma detergent, and the hand-written price tags look like they belong to another decade. It feels safe, dependable, even admirable - proof of discipline and dedication.

But outside, the world is moving at a different speed. Big Bazaar and D-Mart arrive, Swiggy Instamart and Blinkit deliver groceries at the doorstep, and customers change their buying habits overnight. Suddenly, the very consistency that once seemed like a strength begins to feel like a weakness. The shutter still opens right on time, but fewer and fewer customers walk in - because they’ve already clicked their orders online.

Now compare that with icons who thrived because they refused to stay stuck. Imagine if Dhirubhai Ambani had said, “Let’s just keep running the textile business - it’s consistent.” There would have been no Reliance Petrochemicals, no Jio, no transformation in the way India shops and communicates.

Or think of Sachin Tendulkar - if he had stubbornly stuck to the same batting style, he would never have adapted to T20 cricket and extended his career.

And Amitabh Bachchan? Had he stayed only the “angry young man” of the 70s, we would never have seen the reinvention that made him a legend again through TV, character roles, and endorsements. Their greatness lay not in blind consistency, but in the courage to adapt, reinvent, and be gloriously inconsistent.

Consistency is great for brushing your teeth or paying your EMIs. But if you want to stand out, innovate, or actually succeed, stubborn routine won’t cut it. Flexibility, curiosity, and a little chaos are far better companions than donkey-like plodding.

Because at the end of the day, consistency is nothing but walking in circles with pride. Donkeys are brilliant at that. Humans? We were built for detours, leaps, and the occasional misstep that takes us somewhere new.

If consistency makes you feel proud, just remember - donkeys are the gold medalists of consistency. Be human. Be inconsistent, intelligently.

About the Author