Ah, Consistency!
Happy Sunday!
I haven’t written in a few weeks. How ironic is it that I would choose “consistency” as a theme today!
What is consistency, really?
One dictionary definition: “conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness.”
As an artist and creative, the word “conformity” is a little off-putting in that definition. However, “necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy” allows permission to not have to “feel” everything, which can get exhausting. Fairness? Who said anything about fairness?
Other language in definition brought me here:
“steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.”
“agreement, harmony, or compatibility, especially correspondence or uniformity among the parts of a complex thing”
“the condition of cohering or holding together and retaining form”
Anything speaking to you yet?
How about the relationship between consistency and attitude?
The relationship between consistency and behavior?
Now, let’s go even more specifically with the consistency and craft? Consistency and process?
It’s not enough to WANT it. It’s about DOING THE WORK. Not just the work sometimes, kinda, sorta, maybe. It’s finding the CONSISTENCY that is needed to develop the behavior; it’s about the attitude to approach the consistency; it’s about developing craft through process and being consistent in expressing that fully.
Okay, that’s a lot.
None of us find total consistency with everything. We may stay consistent with certain things, and then focus on other things and then loop back, again and again.
If you are like me, you have many tabs open, many interests, many curiosities and simply too few hours to address it all. Don’t beat yourself up.
Establishing a ROUTINE to discover what you CHOOSE to be consistent about & with (so there’s no passing the buck, nor self-blame, nor excuses) can be crucial to keep you focused on what you NEED, DESIRE & CHOOSE to focus your consistency on.
Write it down. Daily. Weekly. Whatever you need to help hold yourself accountable to your consistency is crucial.
Don’t try to do too much all at once. That’s overwhelming and defeats you before you even get started.
Start with ONE thing. Make it do-able. Check it to see if your heart rate stays consistent (see what I did there?) when you speak it, write it, decide on it. Does it excite you? Scare the shit out of you? What? Anything?
Consistency needs coherence. The catalyst: YOUR CHOICE to create it, or dismiss it.
The consistency simply creates the behavior in order to experience the possibilities of what is reveals.
Lack of consistency does not create anything of substance. Lack of consistency stalls potential into actual action.
What will you focus on creating consistency in/for, this week?
What have you been consistently avoiding? What have you been consistently dismissing? What you have been consistently ignoring? cancelling? putting off?
NO VALUE JUDGEMENT. Just name them. Look at them with logic, not emotion. Why have you been consistently NOT doing? What does that reveal?
Now, if you were to shift your consistency into ACTION with just ONE of those things, what could happen? What possibilities await from day to day, and then what would that consistency look like as it moved into other facets of your life?
My daughter’s best friend sent me a meme yesterday while I was contemplating this blog post that was dead on (thank you Jen!) which said this:
“Everything
you want
is waiting
for
you on the
other side
of consistency”
What would that look like to you? Can you imagine?
The key is in your grasp, should you choose to accept it, and it won’t self-destruct: consistency.
Today’s a new day. Why not a fresh start, a focused approach, a logical outline of the week ahead to create consistency in a positive and re-affirmed way?
What needs your consistency? What could be possible if you claimed that?
Stay present to affirm and confirm with yourself, and lather, rinse & repeat!
See you on the other side!
