The Library 006: Go One More

Be Consistently Good Instead of Occasionally Great

I’ve always been fascinated by the parallels between physically demanding challenges and leadership lessons.

I found distance running when I was 19 or 20 years old. I remember running my first 5K and then my first half marathon. The runner’s high was real.

The part I loved the most? Having a place to process deep thoughts and life’s problems as they’d come.

Somewhere along the way I stumbled across Nick Bare on YouTube. Nick is the Founder & CEO of Bare Performance Nutrition who also makes content centered around his fitness journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

I resonated immediately with his messaging.

“Be Consistently Good Instead of Occasionally Great.” -Nick Bare

I had run 5Ks & half marathons… but I never approached the start line of a full marathon. I would think about it, research it—but never sign up. It was just a little too daunting. But after watching enough of Nick’s content… I finally decided to commit.

I signed up for the 2024 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. I paid the money. I bought the shoes. I told my family and friends. I was all in.

Something became apparent on the first day of my four-month training: This was going to be the hardest physical challenge I’d ever attempted.

And that’s where the real challenge showed up…

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The reality of being human in the modern world is that we can have almost anything we want—how we want it, when we want it… with the click of a button.

We have dopamine on demand—and it’s shaping us.

We want Chinese takeout, we order it on DoorDash and it arrives in 33 minutes. Instant gratification.

But when we want to achieve a goal or chase a dream… we are hit with the reality that there isn’t an app or a button that’ll deliver it on demand. It doesn’t exist.

In that moment, we’re reminded of our humanity—and given a choice. Do we put the phone down and go after the dream or do we go find a quicker dopamine fix instead?

I was confronted with this as I hit new walls along the way in training. The only way to earn the satisfaction of crossing the finish line was to be consistently good every day.

Dopamine suddenly wasn’t on demand, it had to be earned.

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In Nick Bare’s book, Go One More, he details the idea of consistency beating talent.

“Here’s the thing about consistency: you don’t have to be born with it.”

I realized I didn’t have to be “special” to run a marathon—I just needed to not quit.

In life I’ve faced seasons where I wondered why this person was a better speaker, a better singer, or better writer. Why did God give that talent to them and not me? This kind of thinking is paralyzing. It keeps us from ever starting because we think we’re deficient of something.

When you think you must be born with a “talent” in order to pursue it, you unintentionally rob yourself of your potential to grow and become more than you see in the mirror.

Sure, Adele was probably born to sing and Michael Jordan was clearly born to be the G.O.A.T. (not up for debate)—but so much of our human experience can be influenced by our actions.

If you want to be…

• A better communicator

• A better leader

• A better friend or parent

You can be (just to name a few). There is a way forward for you to achieve it, if you’re willing to do the consistent work.

“The best things in life are built and not bought.” - Nick Bare

For those of you still wondering—“Well Austin, did you finish the marathon?”

Yes, and below is a photo after I had just crossed the finish line thinking I might pass out. I did it. I proved myself right.

Running that marathon became something deeper for me. It was proof there was more in me than I realized. I’ve carried that forward, and it’s become an anchor in many areas of my life.

So what is it for you? What is your “marathon”?

Nick’s book offers this lesson—and many more. If you’re on the fence of chasing a dream or setting a scary goal, I’d encourage you to give “Go One More” a read.

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The Library Reflection

One question:
What have I been avoiding because I don’t feel “talented” enough?

One practical step:
Choose one area this week (health, leadership, relationships) and show up consistently for 5 days—no matter how you feel.

One quote:
“Here’s the thing about consistency: you don’t have to be born with it.” — Nick Bare

Buy “Go One More” by Nick Bare