Stability, Not Extremism, Brings Success!

A Practical Guide to Sustainable Success

"The most successful people don't live on the edge; they're the ones who are consistent." A post that vividly and strikingly emphasizes this idea has been coming to me repeatedly lately. The message is simple but impactful: We overestimate weekly goals and underestimate annual impact. So how do we translate this into our work and our lives? And why is that seemingly boring force called "consistency" actually our greatest strategic advantage?

The guide below offers you a comprehensive "implementation plan" on this topic. As you read, I encourage you to ask yourself this question a few times: What small but persistent actions can I take today that will be considered "big" in 12 months?

Why “Balanced Stability” Is More Productive Than Extremes

Performance psychology has long held that the arousal/stress-versus-performance curve is shaped like an inverted U; neither too little stress nor too much stress is ideal. Moderate levels of "good stress" enhance focus, while too much distracts. So, it's not about going "full throttle" every day, but about going at the right dose . This idea of balance is consistent with the Yerkes-Dodson framework, known since 1908. (1,2)

What does this tell us? Instead of short bursts of gas, a systematic plan that progresses with light/moderate loads is both sustainable and increases overall output in the long run. In short, balance = distance , not speed .

The Science of Consistency: How Habits Get Established

Contrary to popular belief, a new behavior becoming automatic and a "habit" doesn't happen in 21 days; this process varies from person to person, depending on the difficulty of the behavior and environmental factors. The critical point here is not "frequent repetition," but "systematic and context-dependent repetition." In other words, performing the same behavior at the same time every day, with the same trigger (for example, reading for 10 minutes after your morning coffee), helps the brain automate this action. Therefore, habit isn't a battle of wills; it's the result of a biochemical process born from the regular repetition of well-designed small rituals. The message is clear: Small, easy, and repeatable things stick.

A 5-Principle Approach to “High Impact Without Overdoing It”

80% stability, 20% peak

80% of the week is “medium-intensive, repeatable” work (pipeline management, customer contacts, training/production routines); 20% is “peak focus” (a single, large lever, such as a strategy document, product outline, proposal presentation). This both reduces burnout and creates visible breakthroughs.

90-Minute Deep Focus Blocks

Focus on completing your most valuable work of the day in a single 90-minute block. The idea of deep work has been discussed in academia and management literature for years and is essentially based on the goal of "improving cognitive quality by maintaining attention." Reducing noise and focusing on a single task improves productivity and output quality.

Micro Target + Clear Trigger

Set micro-goals with time/space triggers, such as "Tag 10 new MQLs in your CRM every morning at 9:30 AM ." Clarify what you'll do and where/when you'll do it in advance. This reduces friction and increases the likelihood of regular repetition.

Load Management: The Push–Pull Cycle

A rhythm of two days of "push" (high focus), one day of "withdrawal" (active rest, light work) is similar to periodization in sports. Aim for a repeatable 70-80% , not a constant 100% . This way, you'll spend more time at the peak of the inverted U curve.

The 3×3 Stability Cycle: An Easy-to-Implement Framework

You can print the 3×3 below and hang it on your desk:

3 Routines (Every Day)

1. Focus Block (90 min) – The single most important task.

2. Visible Progress (30 min) – Email pending, customer/prospect contact, a section in the report.

3. Learning Note (15 min) – 1 insight you learned that day + 1 micro-experiment.

3 Facilitators

1. Trigger (time/place) – Ex: 9:30, office desk, headphones.

2. Reduce Friction – Leave login screens open, prepare templates, create no-meeting windows.

3. Feedback – Weekly mini-review: “What progressed, what stuck?”

3 Protectors

1. Sleep & Energy – A “sleep hygiene” habit that limits caffeine and screen time.

2. Mini Breaks – 5-10 minutes of walking/breathing.

3. Boundaries – Slack/WhatsApp quiet times, no-meeting blocks.

Here's an honest question: Is there a "one true block" in my day? Or am I quietly reducing my productivity by fragmenting the work with pings and pits?

6 Common Mistakes and Their Antidotes

1. Inflating the goal: “I will finish the book this week.”

   
   

   – Antidote: “One subheading in 15 minutes every day.”

2. Expectation of cemetery silence: Never being able to start while expecting complete silence.

   
   

   – Antidote: Reduce noise, create a single block, accept the remaining noise.

3. Trigger-free behavior: “I’ll do it if I have time.”

   
   

   – Antidote: Time/location trigger + ready-made templates.

4. Sustained high tempo: Falling onto the right side of an inverted U.

   
   

   – Antidote: Planned “withdrawal days,” mini-breaks.

5. Random practice: Thinking that more hours = improvement.

   
   

   – Antidote: Feedback-based, difficulty-adjustable, measurable practice.

6. One-time motivation: “One campaign will change everything.”

   
   

   – Antidote: Building process-dependent systems; making motivation a byproduct of the system.

Remember: Big Differences are the Compound of Small Repetitions 

Excess creates a brief flash of brilliance; consistency produces a compounding effect on both your corporate and personal brand. When deep focus, simplified habits, and targeted practice, fueled by the right dose of stress, combine, you'll see leaps and bounds a year from now that will leave you wondering, "How did we get here?" Translate that concise message of inspiration into your own work/life system and start today: Small but persistent.

Dr. Hakan TETİK

Resources

1. Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modeling habit formation in the real world . European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2657838/

Moss, F. (2024). Habits in the brain: Neural mechanisms of habit formation . Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 28(5), 390-402. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661324000780