So here’s the thing about consistency I’ve been learning as a creative:
It sucks. And its hard as fuck.
Lemme gist you a little: I recently started work at a 9am–5pm (sorry, 9am–6pm) firm and chile! Having to wake up at 7:30am to get breakfast and get to work on time, cutting nights out in town short because “I have to be up early for work tomorrow”, pouring bitter black coffee down your throat so that you can function properly as a member of society.
If I’m complaining so much; why did I take the job in the first place, you may ask. Well, the short answer is, because I watched myself get more undisciplined day after day. Life stuff always came up at the weirdest times, and procrastination ruled, big time.
Daydreaming about the life I want for myself and having lengthy heartfelt conversations with friends sent a rush of dopamine through my brain. It made me believe I was actually doing the work. But let’s be honest sis; I wasn’t.
Productivity levels were steady dropping and though I could argue that my creative juices were flowing, a lot of them ended up drying where they initially pumped out from; my head.
Btw, did you know that serotonin is the direct opposite of dopamine, and while daydreaming releases dopamine, like all other short term gratifications (sex, checking social media in the middle of work,), serotonin is released by impulse control; being able to focus and the rush that comes with getting tasks completed. I need me some serotonin!
I took the job primarily because I needed to actively practice focus, discipline, how to structure my time, work as a part of an organization and break down tasks into bite-sized pieces. This helped put results in perspective for me. Literally as easy as; if I can put in this energy into growing another brand and get paid for it, then I can replicate it into my personal brand.
what is consistency?
Consistency is setting actionable goals and a map that will get you there. It differs from person to person.
As a creative it means writing and editing when I don’t feel like it, researching for new ideas and stories when I just got my heart broken, and making intentional efforts to make sure I amplify my voice on a regular basis.
Inc Africa shares some other reasons why being consistent is very important as a creatively minded person here.
The other day, I had a conversation with my cousin and he said “I work out at the gym everyday because it proves to me that I can be consistent at something.” It stuck with me (and kinda gave inspo for this piece).
why?
Why would you punish your body with iron 6 days a week, in the rain or sun, with food or without, for so long? (add two other examples)
Why would a writer open their computer everyday to churn out a thousand words, even when creative fuel is long gone?
Why does your favorite food seller open her restuarant every day, even when she has family problems and a sick husband at home?
Consistency answers the why. And the best part is that, it is exactly what you want it to be. Money is a huge motivating factor, especially in our current economy. But there’s other reasons people stay consistent. To prove to yourself that you can do what you set your mind to, to hone a craft, to excel at your chosen field.
Being consistent is choosing to show up to something that is important to you, even when you don’t feel like it. Most successful people have consistency as one of their major habits. Building a habit, especially one that requires you to push your limits is difficult.
Which is why, your focus should always be on the why. Why?
A 9–5er is consistent at showing up for work, Mondays-Fridays, under the sun or in the rain because they have a salary at the end of the month to collect.
My cousin works out daily so he can prove to himself that he is capable of being consistent at something.
I started work at a 9–5 because it helps me build my discipline, time management and have a result-based mindset; all of which are essential to being a creative who aims to be successful at it.
Consistency sucks though. Because I promise you, I’m definitely not this motivational when groaning out of bed in the morning to prepare for work.
But understanding your why, that is what keeps you going. Because if you’re inconsistent at showing up to work, you’ll get queried or even fired. And if cousin misses leg day, he disrespects his personal values.
And if your food seller is inconsistent at opening up her shop, she will definitely lose paying customers.
do you understand your processes?
Consistency is about repetition; doing the same thing over and over again to gain mastery or build a habit from it.
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”- John Maxwell.
I’m diagnosed with ADHD, heavy on the distractions and impulsivity. My friend, Fran, can write at a stretch for 4 hours without even budging from her seat. If I decide to use Fran’s models of writing, I definitely will not publish in a long, long time.
I’d much rather break the four hours down into two; detailing tasks that I’ll do within that time frame, take a break, and then go again.
I can’t be caught dead in a gym four days in a row; to talk less of 6 days, but I can squeeze three days in the week between intervals (don’t judge me lol), so I monitor my diet so that the three days I put in yields results.
Consistency is a result oriented habit, which is why I like it. It basically states:
- pick a task,
- clearly outline why you want to do it,
- study yourself and your body processses;
- what your peak times are and how you can harness those,
- build a routine and stick to it.
Let’s do a practical using my new job:
- pick a task- being a 9–5er
- why i wanna do it: steady income, being able to work with deadlines, build personal discipline
- study yourself and processes: being in a work environment increases my productivity and focus, helping me churn out more pieces of content than i would have, if i were in complete ownership of my time
- peak time and harnessing it: getting an early start on my day means finishing office work quickly and facing personal projects. more work gets done around 10am–4pm, both personal and work,
- build a routine: luckily for me, my routine is set in stone. make sure you’re at your desk at 9, and you clock out at 6. this helps my brain form a routine of sorts.
Now, its your turn. Reflect on these pointers, pick a specific part of your life you need to be consistent with, then apply them.
being consistent with adhd
You have a better chance of succeeding when you can tell yourself the truth.- Amara Peace.
I’ve always struggled with being consistent tbh. Scenarios where I’d go from being pumped up about completing a task, and 10 minutes down the line, I cannot even be bothered to feign excitement.
Or piling a whole list of tasks in a minute of ginger and being too overwhelmed to follow up with them. Or even trying to do some research on your phone, and stumbling into Instagram and Tiktok for two hours or more.
The core value of consistency is commitment. Doing stuff you agreed to do, even when you don’t feel like doing them anymore.
One thing that helped me is the bite-sized pieces analogy. Have you watched a toddler being fed rice and stew? As an adult, you’d be mentally tired watching the process. The toddler cannot be given more than two or three grains of rice at once. Well, except you feel like choking a child for no reason.
So they start off with a bowl of rice, and grain by grain, the rice disappears down the toddler’s throat, until the plate is empty.
Consistency is a lot like that. It’s really not about how many tasks you can complete in a stipulated time frame; a day maybe. It is more about the bigger picture; getting there step by step, small steps, big steps; they’re all steps. The important thing is that you’re actually taking steps to get to your bigger picture.
Being neurodivergent just means that you’ll get stuff done in a different way than people are used to. And that is totally valid. If you know you get overwhelmed or distracted easily, write down your bigger picture and take it two grains at a time. Notice your triggers and what motivates you.
Taking steps also means that you might take a step backward every once in a while, or even be stuck on a particular step. Be gentle with yourself in those moments. A misstep does not invalidate all the other steps you have taken up until that point.
And celebrate your successes, loudly. You woke up at the same time for 5 days in a row, celebrate it. You wrote everyday for 30 days in a row, scream it on Medium.
Being consistent takes effort, and you should always reward yourself when you put in the effort. I know I do.
finally,
Consistency requires a lot of you. But she is also a generous mistress. Committing to doing something and actually seeing it through; the feeling of satisfaction and a job well done, knowing that you respect yourself and the values you have set for yourself, these cannot be measured.
And that’s why, even if being consistent sucks at times, and comes with tears and a whole lot of emotional meltdowns and wanting to just give up, I owe it to myself to show up.
I think you should, too.
Author’s note: Hey there, thank you for reading.
Have you been consistent at anything? Did you see the results? what would you like to be consistent in?
I’d love to hear from you. Share with me in the comments or shoot me a mail.
Always,
Amara.
