One of my favorite quotes is this, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” (Will Durant) The results we get are almost always a reflection of what we do on a consistent basis. Sadly, most of us are consistently inconsistent and fall short of our potential because of it.

The greatest coaches and athletes have learned to build in habits and routines that lead to excellence. They “line up their dominoes.” Each domino represents one single action you must take that will ultimately lead to the achievement of a goal that you’ve set. It creates a set of small yet consistent, connected actions that end up with a larger desired result.

When you successfully knock down one domino it leads to the next and so on. You gain positive momentum along the way. For example, as I train to compete in Spartan Races, I line up my dominos like this:

Domino #1 – Start the day with a protein shake

Domino #2 – Do 20 pushups, jumping jacks or burpees every 60 minutes

Domino #3 – Train in the gym for 60 minutes

Domino #4 – Stop all meals by 7pm

This principle applies most importantly to our spiritual life. In Luke 9:23 we are reminded to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. I line up dominos like 6am Bible time, prayer before meals, listening to podcasts during my training, and family prayer at night to make sure that I stay consistent in my growth as a follower of Jesus.

Consistency leads to continuous forward progress; it creates and sustains positive momentum toward our goals and eliminates shortcuts and excuses. We have to show up and do the little things that lead to growth.

So, let’s line up our dominos on the way to a godly life.