the curiosity / consistency spectrum

I recently started reading Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and in it he talks about the inevitability of trade-offs in daily life. Often, we’re faced with 2 things we want or need, and as much as we want to say yes to both equally, most of the time a trade-off has to be made in some capacity.

I’d like to explore a trade-off that’s formulated in my mind of late: novelty vs consistency.

There’s a spectrum that lies between these 2 words/ideas, and it’s not entirely linear. It’s more of a 3D spectrum, at least how I imagine it in my mind. Let me elaborate.

On one hand, there’s novelty. The desire for new things, for new stimulus. It’s what our brains crave, and what everything from social media posts to advertising feed on.

On the other hand, there’s consistency. Doing something day in and day out, through seasons of high and low motivation.

The more you seek novelty, you sacrifice consistency.

I suppose you can consistently seek novelty. But it won’t amount to much, because you’re not being consistent with non-novel things, the “boring” things that are more likely to compound over time and turn into real change-creators.

It doesn’t really work the other way though.

The more consistent you are with daily practices, the more likely you are to eschew novelty (at least with the big/important components of your life)

The best outcomes, and the most success, are probably somewhere along the continuum, closer to consistency. But with enough novelty injected into the mix to keep life from turning into a boring slog.

Perhaps there’s an even better way to frame this, though.

Perhaps a better spectrum to focus on is curiosity vs consistency.

Because in my mind, it’s not really a spectrum. And it’s not a trade-off. At least, not to the degree consistency and novelty are.

I think there’s a difference in connotation and execution between novelty and curiosity. To me, novelty is more frivolous—its essence is one of distraction, of newness for newness’ sake. It wears off quickly. It’s like buying a new car or gadget, and then the new wears off and you move on to the next “novel” thing. It’s the never-ending hedonic treadmill.

But curiosity—that’s a powerful distinction. There may be novelty involved as you follow what makes you curious, but curiosity can be channeled in much more productive, constructive ways. It can be synonymous with consistency in a way that I don’t think novelty (as least in the way I’m defining it) can be.

If you use your curiosity to open up new doors, new perspectives and pursuits that can elevate your craft, skillset and mindset…that’s a f*&%ing powerful weapon in combination with consistency of the fundamentals.

Here’s how I envision a best-of-both worlds scenario:

You should be consistently curious to push your boundaries and stoke a life of anti-stagnancy.

And you should be curiously consistent with the fundamentals, to build a foundation that allows you to follow your curiosity. Those fundamentals are the things that will move the needle in the direction you want to go (your main work, your “basics” in the gym, your monthly investing in the market, etc.).

Here’s what this looks like in practice in my own life right now.

I’m curiously consistent with the boring basics day in and day out. I eat largely the same things every day, composed of macros that I know will support my health, physique and performance goals. I work every day as a physical therapist and online coach. I lift weights or exercise in some capacity every day, without fail. I invest in the market every month and follow a budget and practice good financial habits. I check the boxes and (for the most part) I don’t allow myself to be distracted by whatever “novelty” flits across my screen. There’s probably a lot of people who would look at these things and say “wow that’s boring.” And maybe they’re right. But I honestly don’t care, because at this point these consistent actions are ingrained in my lifestyle, and they’re the things that are going to support me in reaching my long-term career, health and financial goals.

And then there’s the other piece of it.

I’m consistently curious about things. I don’t let those consistent actions I just listed be the ONLY things in my life—they’re just the foundation builders, a portion of the inputs/outputs that sustain me. Beyond them, above them, I make time to follow my curiosity, both within and without the boundaries of my profession as a PT and coach.

I write about things that intrigue me (this article and all the others are part of a pact I made to write 100 articles in 100 weekdays as a way to follow my curiosity).

I read about things that interest me.

I try new challenges that I know will push my body and mind further than they would ever be pushed if I just stuck with bodybuilding style training for the rest of my days.

I actively make an effort to try new things and put myself in uncomfortable situations, because that’s the essence of a life of anti-stagnancy. The kind of life I want to lead.

Be curiously consistent. And consistently curious.