You’ve heard me talk about running before. Running distance is one of those things where, sure, you could show up day of the race with no training under your belt (or on your soles). But you may not finish those 13.1 miles. If you do, it won’t be pretty. You may even injure yourself. At best, you’ll be in excruciating pain, shuddering at the thought of ever running around the block again (let alone an endurance event).

Done right, you run two to five miles a day on a consistent basis, and mix it up with speed | hill | interval workouts, and stretching toward long runs in weekly as you approach a race.

Networking can be looked upon in the same way; it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Using this philosophy, I often say in my presentations that “Networking is a lifestyle, not an action—a relationship, not an event.”

Too many people look at it as a quick lap—an action or an event. As such, you may only identify networking as something that has to be done—a necessary evil to assure a back-up plan is in place in case you ever lose your job.

Wrong.

You can’t build a lifestyle or a relationship—the facets of smart, solid networking–without “time.” You have to put in the effort.

Just as I have to put in the miles for that long race. Endurance on the networking front can be shown in more than one way:

• Keep your network warm. Reach out to one connection a month for coffee, lunch or other low-key meet-ups.
• Exercise your networking muscle by intentionally developing a new contact each month, to bulk up your existing network.
• Follow-up with your existing or longtime colleagues at least a few times monthly with something as simple as a note card, e-mail, or phone call.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of effort. The key is that you make the effort. You put in the miles. It doesn’t matter the pace or the sweat that goes into them. The consistency makes all the difference. Think about individuals you know that have an enviable network; to which the process seems so natural. Over time, the process has become a habit – a lifestyle.

With consistency, your relationships will blossom and they’ll remain “active” in such a way that if you need a new position—are displaced, relocating or encountering other life changes—you’ll feel comfortable enough to ask this contact for guidance.

Don’t sprint. Put in the time and effort and you’ll be prepared for the next big event of your life.