Growth Instigators Hotline

#476 Paint: Consistency/Patience

• Aaron Havens • Season 5 • Episode 476

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Ever try to push your way to progress, only to end up with streaks and frustration? We take a humble paint job and use it to decode why real growth loves rhythm, not force. From spilled buckets and rushed coats to clean lines and even coverage, this story shows how small, steady passes create outcomes you can trust.

We dig into the core idea that consistency outperforms intensity in leadership and life. Instead of muscling a roller, think steady pressure and repeated passes—daily habits, recurring check-ins, and clear expectations that bond like primer. You’ll hear how preparation sets the ceiling for quality, why boundaries are the “edges” that keep your culture crisp, and how patience between coats prevents rework and burnout. The practical through-line is simple: pick a domain, define your edges, make one small pass every day, and let each layer cure before adding more.

Along the way, we highlight how to turn messy starts into durable systems: tape your edges with decision rights, schedule sacred rhythm blocks, and replace heroic sprints with reliable cadence. You’ll walk away with a mental model for habit formation, team leadership, and personal growth that favors repeatable actions over occasional bursts. If you’re ready to swap patchy results for a finish that holds, this conversation is your blueprint for coverage that lasts.

If this resonated, follow the show for more short, practical coaching prompts, share it with a friend who’s sprinting on empty, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Want help building your rhythm? Email Aaron at growth instigators.com and let’s get to work.

https://growthinstigators.com/


SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to message 476 of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we examine an everyday normal object and assign it a deeper meaning. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. What can paint remind us of today? Raise your hand if you've ever gotten a wild hair and decided to paint a room in your house one weekend. Okay. Good job, Weekend Warrior. How did that go for you? Growing up, my parents had rental properties, and so I have been around remodeling and painting jobs as far back as I can recall. I can tell you a lot of stories where uh how can I put this? I've had opportunities to learn from. When I was old enough, my parents put a paintbrush in my hand and off to the races I went. I've spilt entire buckets of paint on the carpet. Yeah, not good. I've stepped in paint trays, I've dripped paint on the carpet, I've rushed. Uh, so here's the deal. I've learned the difference between oil base and water base, on and on. And I can think of lessons I've learned from painting. So today, let's notice paint and specifically paint jobs. And think of lessons we can learn from such an unnoticeable common thing. One thing I learned while becoming an expert paint man, I am, is now that coverage takes consistency, not force. You don't slam a roller harder to get better results. No, it's about steady pressure and repeated passes. Painting takes patience and consistency. The same is true with your leadership, the same is true with your growth. Growth favors rhythm over intensity. Sure, you can splash paint up on a wall in a quick and hasty way. I bet you won't like the results once it dries, though. And sure, you can have moments of intense leadership focus here and there. Again, I bet you won't like the results and outcomes. So when you see paint today, let's think of two things. One, quietly, thank that person who had the patience to slowly and steadily put the paint on the wall. And number two, reflect on where in your life you just pushed harder and faster, hoping for better results. When in fact, rhythms being methodical, consistency is the better approach. Hey, if you need help with rhythms and consistency in your life and leadership, I can help. Sometimes we just need another set of eyes or ears on something to help growth happen. Shoot me a text or send me an email at Aaron at growth instigators.com if that is you. Here's to rhythms and patience today. Here's to growth.