Consistency . . . or die?

We hear – consistently – that consistency is key to realising our goals and dreams. Life has proven the truth in this. Even so, I find consistency to be quite a challenge.

I think we need to blend it with our deeper, natural rhythm. Know our authentic needs and allow for them – build them into our consistency rather than try to forcibly delete them. Otherwise we’re aiming for something that feels like perfection and behaves like inner struggle. Which elevates doubt and gnaws at our confidence – both of which gobble up our joy and eat our dreams for breakfast.

Consistent needs to include room for your natural balance, not fight against it.  For me that includes regular time out – from everything (including social media). So, should I worry about the health of my ‘page’? FB tells me to post ‘consistently’ – daily, or I’ll no longer show on my liker’s newsfeed. Many advocate multiple posts per day. Blogging began with a recommended weekly dose in the social media diet. Then bi-weekly, now most experts say do it daily or you’ll be irrelevant and obsolete in our information overloaded world! One recipe fits all? Communicate our way, stay in everyone’s loop all the time . . . or die!

Only a wee example, that mirrors so well the many other streams of advice on how to live life ‘successfully’?

Does this ‘one recipe fits all’ approach resonate with you as consistency? It feels more like an unsophisticated version of mainstream conformity to me (shudder!)

We’re blessed with access to more information than we can ever digest. And I believe that makes it even more important that we consciously filter and think for ourselves in applying all this juicy advice. That we go within and find resonance with our way. To develop and use discernment in finding our own recipe for consistency and every other concept we choose to integrate into our lives.

Anything else is ‘blind obedience’ with roots in fear and lack, isn’t it?

So here’s my addition to the bountiful advice on consistency. Stretch yourself, widen your boundaries, regularly adventure past your fears and limitations, experiment with new concepts and habits. And look beneath the surface to assess their fit in your life before committing your soul to them. When we want to create a new, beneficial and sustainable element in life – its ok to do it gradually and authentically and its ok not to do it by blind adherence to someone else’s mantra (or dogma).

There is much to learn from other’s experience and wisdom. And much to gain by adapting it and making it our own.

Consistency is most powerful – when we are consistently authentic.