Consistency of effort over the long run is what truly separates high achievers from the rest. It’s not about a single moment of brilliance, but the relentless daily grind that compounds into something extraordinary. Forget looking for hacks; this is the real secret to lasting success.
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Meaning
This quote means that the single most critical factor for achieving anything significant isn’t talent or intelligence, but the unwavering, day-in, day-out application of effort, sustained over years or even decades.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. The magic isn’t in the one-off heroic effort. It’s in the boring stuff. It’s the writer who writes 500 words, even on days they don’t feel like it. It’s the entrepreneur who makes 10 extra calls at 6 PM when everyone else has gone home. That’s the stuff that compounds. A little bit, every single day, adds up to a staggering amount over a year. Over five years? It creates an unbreachable moat between you and everyone else who was just waiting for motivation to strike. It’s the ultimate competitive advantage because so few people are willing to actually do it.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Success (341) |
| Topics | consistency (66), discipline (252), effort (77) |
| Literary Style | minimalist (442) |
| Emotion / Mood | lively (108), pragmatic (36), resolute (28) |
| Overall Quote Score | 78 (178) |
Origin & Factcheck
This line comes straight from Angela Duckworth’s 2016 book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, which was published in the United States. It’s the central thesis of her research. You sometimes see similar sentiments misattributed to people like Einstein or Confucius, but this specific phrasing and the robust psychology behind it is 100% Duckworth’s.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr Angela Duckworth (58) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (58) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Angela Duckworth is a University of Pennsylvania psychology professor and MacArthur Fellow whose research focuses on grit, self-control, and achievement. She taught middle school before earning her PhD at Penn and later founded Character Lab to advance the science of character development. Her bestseller Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance has shaped thinking in education and performance science. She co-hosts No Stupid Questions on the Freakonomics network. If you’re browsing the Angela Duckworth book list, you’ll find practical, research-backed guidance for cultivating passion and perseverance.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Consistency of effort over the long run is everything |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2016; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-1501111105; Last edition: Scribner 2016; Number of pages: 352 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 7: Practice, page 139 (2016 Edition) |