Consistency means stability, discipline and reliability. It means sticking to what you have set your mind to, even when you go off track, have little support from friends and family or you resent the sacrifices you have to make (whether financial or giving up your free time).
Consistency is not always easy, hence why some struggle to maintain this in their working and social lives. Consistency could mean carrying out tasks or projects and receiving no recognition for your efforts because a) nobody has taken the time to acknowledge you or b) you are working behind the scenes and are therefore unseen.
I will list just a few definitions of consistency taken from the Collins Dictionary;
1. Agreement or harmony between parts of something complex; compatibility
2. Degree of viscosity or firmness
I was speaking to a friend last week about consistency. As funny as it may sound, I posed two questions to myself;
“Would I still blog on a weekly basis if I had no readers or followers?”
“Would the incentive and passion remain?”
From the bottom of my heart, I would continue to blog as writing is my passion. I write as much for myself as I do for others. I find it therapeutic. However like every other person I would feel deflated at receiving no feedback. Perhaps I would try to “put myself out there” far more than I do now. I would consider sending links to friends and regularly posting about my blog on social media.
If you are more of the adventurous “I will try anything once” type you may have signed up to a number of hobbies and activities over the years. Deciding to give up a hobby only has a direct impact on you therefore I view this as very different to committing to entering into a small business with a partner or perhaps starting a course that will cost you thousands in fees.
You have to make up your mind from the onset what your expectations are before embarking on a new challenge. It is always best to decline taking on a task or commitment than offering your time, money, services and then back tracking.
How do you maintain consistency in your line of work/business and personal life?
organisedlady 
Hi,
Interesting post. To me, consistency indicates strength and determination.
Thanks.
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Thank you for reading and commenting on my post Dhaval. You certainly need determination in order to be consistent.
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Just love this blog! God has been speaking to me about being more consistent writing my blog. It is hard sometimes due to my medical issues. However, I had mentioned to someone not too long my ago how therapeutic writing is for me and I’ve been losing track of that. When I write my blog I’m not just speaking to my readers. God is speaking to me, hence the name Inside Tammee’s Closet. I enjoy writing and, like you, would write anyway, even if I had no readers. I pray all the time that God bring those to read my blog who really need that word for the moment they’re in, even if it’s just one person. Thank you for reminding me about consistency, not just for my blog, but for other areas of my life as well.
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Thank you Tammee.
I have also enjoyed reading your blog. You have touched on some very personal issues which have been a great blessing to me. As Christians we need to be real by first acknowledging our feelings, identifying why we have them then move on.
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Phoenicia, I too just like you said like to write not only for others but for also myself.I believe writing helps us connect with others it makes us learn and grow as well. I agree feedback received drives ahead of the passion and fire within.
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The more you write, the more you develop your skills.
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Phoenicia — it’s important to be consistent once you’ve established a goal. What is it you want to achieve and what will you do to get there? Being consistent in staying the course isn’t always easy, but the effort is worth it if you reach your goal.
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Grear advice Jeannette. It is always worth it in the end.
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Being consistent is vital, but I also think so is letting go. I think someone has to know the difference between being consistent, and just being stubborn. Sometimes it is important to let go and just change. But, on the other hand, you cannot reap the harvest if you do not wait long enough for the crop to grow.
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Yes William – there is a time to persevere and a time to call it a day. Only wisdom will tell us which path to take, oh and our gut instinct.
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Two areas where I have been consistent since 2009 and 2011 are daily writing and writing a weekly blog. As Erica noted, being a part of the BHB group has made all the difference in my blog. I feel a responsibility to the group. Not just in being supportive and reading blogs and sharing them on Social Media, but also in putting my best blog out there.
I can be as flakey as anything and love doing many different things. But I love writing and focus my discipline there. Good post.
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I agree that being part of the BHB forum leaves you accountable. It requires participation.
I would not have classed you as fickle at all.
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I have been inconsistent in 2016, partly due to some technical faults (for which I shifted to wordpress now) and partly due to some personal issues,
Now that I am reshaping my blog, I try to be as consistent as possible. Also due to some minor health issues, i could not remain consistent regarding my fitness regime too!
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Last year I moved my site to WordPress as the host I was with proved unreliable. Often my website was out of service which was not a good look. Sorry to hear about your health problems. Glad to have you back!
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Consistency is important unless something better happens that takes us along a different path. Current bahaviour may then not be optimal because we have to be flexible in life. Many fantastic things in my life would not have happened if I had not been flexible and open for new possibilities.
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I used to be rather rigid but am slowly becoming flexible knowing that opportunities can arise through any circumstance.
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I blogged for about 6 months before joining Bloggers Helping Bloggers. And most of my blogs were read by about 1 to 3 people at the time since I also didn’t yet have a mailing list. And I wasn’t at all consistent.Then one of my Facebook friends mentioned this group. Having support made all the difference for me. And now I also have my weekly newsletter which I can’t send without a blog entry. So now I have double incentive for being consistent. I think it is really a process to find what will work for you to keep you on track.
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Good on you Erica.
You have fantastic content which I enjoy reading week after week.
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Hi Phoenicia. Interesting post. To me, consistency indicates strength and determination. As long as we keep things interesting and always strive to be better, consistency is good. So long as it does not become tangled with complacency.
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Thanks for giving your stance on consistency, Doreen. I guess it does take an element of strength to keep on going despite the challenges around you.
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Thought provoking article Phoenicia. I tend to approach the whole traffic / feedback issue from a business perspective. If I am diligent (consistent) about creating and promoting quality content and the traffic is still not there, then I would take a step back and evaluate my strategy and dig into my analytics and look at trends and where the readers are (and are not) coming from.
I think this is also a great example of the value of building a list. Many of my subscribers have been with me for years and are great about giving me feedback because we’ve built relationships.
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Evaluating is good Marquita as it encourages us to re look at what we are doing. What worked last year may not work this year.
Feedback is highly beneficial. We need to know what people want.
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Hi Phoenicia,
I’ve found it difficult to be consistent in my blogging for about the last six months. I started out putting up a post once a week, then went to three times a month, and now, with all the problems and difficulties of moving house that I’ve encountered, I’m down to once a month or even less! Our friend Brent Jones also believes it’s important to be consistent in blogging frequency, since readers get used to getting our posts and look forward to them.
Once I’m finally settled in my next home, I want to return to my weekly blogging schedule. Until then, I’ll just do the best I can.
Dr Rin Porter
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When obstacles come our way we can get distracted – we are only human after all. The main thing is to acknowledge we have gone off track and assess whethe we want to get back on track.
Originally I blogged twice a week and struggled so dropped this to one day a week. Days when I have felt tired or had a busy Sunday I wonder;
“Will readers/followers even notice if I blog a day later or miss this week all together?”
I push myself to deliver every Sunday hoping it will pay off one day.
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Great post! Consistency is key when it comes to organizing. I often tell clients that maintaining an organized space takes consistency. You need to get into the habit of placing items in their home to truly stay organized.
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Sabrina – the golden rule of everything, absolutely everything having a home!
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I can see both sides of this issue Phoenicia. You make a compelling case for consistency. But, on the other hand, you could also make a case for trying many different things and then choosing what you want to focus on, which would also mean quickly dropping some of the things you started.
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At the end of my blog, I touched on the ways of the more adventurous person who regular changes hobbies.
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