Back when I was a bodybuilder… well…. maybe not a real bodybuilder, but years ago when I was an intern spending my free time lifting weights, I discovered a set of principles to overcome plateaus.
Today I call it the CIM Principle: Consistency Intensity, and Method.
First, unless you are consistent nothing else matters.
If you are not consistently working a plan and making constant effort; a sporadic or one time intense push will do nothing for the big picture. Working an all-nighter two times a year will do nothing if you not working a few hours a day over many months.
If you are not consistently working – it doesn’t matter how much education you have, how many techniques you can learn or skills you can acquire. Skills do not equal diligence. No matter how much you learn, you will still have to go through the process of consistent and diligent work.
Second, intensity trumps methodology.
Returning to my bodybuilding days, I would read through fitness magazines and look at various website to see what “new” and “unique” technique I could learn to do things different. People often talk about changing things up with you’re not seeing any gains.
But if I were to compare the results of the “latest technique” done moderately vs. doing an old technique with incredible zeal leaving me breathless and sore for days, the intense workout would alway bring more results.
I wrote in a previous post about an eye-opening conversation I had with a professional internet marketer where he suggested that I work like a mad-man for many months in order to really learn. He said that if I would put in a couple hundred hour weeks, I’d learn through experience things you would never understand via books or mentors.
Thirdly comes the method ( or education, skill or technique )
Once you have commitment and follow-through, have increased your intensity – tweaking your method is sure to bring great growth.
So if you’re like me, you need to read less blogs, and write more of your own. Schedule and spread your work out so you can go the distance. Stop asking questions and start gaining more experiences.
Good luck!
P.S. If you have other ideas, please share how you overcome plateau and see growth.