The Torah gives a detailed account of the daily tamid offering in the Holy Temple. This service was performed with perfect consistency every day, rain or shine, always. This teaches the importance of infusing our lives with this same quality of consistency.

To become a great human being requires applying your mind constantly, until it pervades every fiber of your being. The human body loves patterns. Even the most daunting tasks become fluid when set into a schedule. This means doing the activity in the same place, at the same time, and in the same way. It pays to be consistent.

When we are trying to reach a goal, it is natural to have times along the way when we feel super-inspired and want to do it all at once, and other times when we may feel like throwing in the towel and giving up. In Pirkei Avot it says “the day is short and the work is abundant…”, [therefore], “it is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” Meaning, God only expects us to work persistently and consistently towards a goal, whether or not we actually accomplish it. However, we should not use this as an excuse to not try our hardest and do our best.

The most effective way to succeed is through steady, balanced, and consistent effort, no matter how we may feel at the moment. Whenever you pursue a specific goal, it should be without interruption. It’s actually better to study for one hour straight, than for two hours with interruptions. Interruptions break our train of thought and limit our ability to retain information. They take the power out of learning.

Time is the greatest opportunity of your life. Don’t waste a minute of it. It all begins with a decision, a commitment. Today, try saying aloud: “Life is an opportunity. I want to use my mind, and be constantly moving toward my goal.”

Rabbi Noah Weinberg