We’ve heard it all before: the #1 mistake that entrepreneurs make when running a business is a lack of consistency. I’m sure you’ve heard all of the quotes and phrases that “consistency is key to success,” “with consistency comes greatness,” etc.
The Secret to Consistency
Now, the only secret to consistency and actually being consistent is planning. You quite literally have to plan to be consistent. And while entrepreneurs certainly have the capacity to plan ahead and to plan thoughtfully, we can also lose track and fall behind.
Results do come from consistent action. However, it has to be the right consistent action. There is no sense in continuing certain patterns, activities, and routines if you’re not actively experiencing results. There’s a constant and continuous review and upleveling and improvement process that needs to be created if you’re going to make this commitment of being consistent.
The Importance of Consistency
Being consistent is important for business because when you’re consistent, you show others, especially your ideal customers, that what you do matters to you. It’s part of that like, know and trust factor. Your content is timely, your blog stays current, your social media is up to date and you post regularly, you send out your e-newsletters at a regular, constant pace. But most of all, you show up for your business, because this is your calling and this is your purpose.
You should want to show up for what you do and for who you serve. If you notice yourself failing to show up consistently in some way, there might be something deeper that you feel held back with or perhaps the way that you’re showing up is not bringing you joy. If this is the case, I would recommend meditating on this or journaling your feelings to get a deeper sense of the reasons behind your lack of taking action and being consistent.
How to Be Consistent
So, what systems can you put in place to keep yourself accountable about being consistent? As much as free-spirited entrepreneurs like us want to just go with the flow all the time, we do need some structure and that comes from creating systems that we can work with. I’m about to provide you with a plan of action to put in place to help you do this.
- Start by making a list of the ways that you want to show up for your business. Perhaps, you want an e-newsletter, or a regular blog, or engage in social media, whatever it may be. Write down all of the ways you want to show up regularly for your community.
- Now, for each way you want to show up, write down the frequency of regularity. Make sure this is a realistic frequency you can commit to and one that feels good. If it helps, start at a slower frequency, because you can always increase it later on.
- Now, for each way you want to show up, you want to break down the steps of each action you must take to complete them, with the frequency in mind. For example: I want to have a blog and I want to post on the blog twice per month. The actions required to make this happen are as follows:
- I need to come up with 2 blog topics each month.
- I need to write those 2 blogs each month.
- I need to create cover images for those 2 blogs each month.
- I need to publish those 2 blogs each month.
- Now for this step, you need some sort of planner. Whether it’s on iCal or Google Calendar, or a planner book or a paper calendar, you need something that you will regularly check to keep yourself organized. You’re essentially going to take the steps you’ve listed above and integrate them into your calendar. For example:
- On the 1st of every month, I’m going to make a list of 2 blog topics for that month.
- On the 1st Tuesday of the month, I’m going to write the first blog and design its cover image.
- On the 1st Thursday of the month, I’m going to publish the first blog.
- On the 3rd Tuesday of the month, I’m going to write the second blog and design its cover image.
- On the 3rd Thursday of the month, I’m going to publish the second blog.
- For this process to stick, you need to ensure that you repeat this process every month. That’s why it’s helpful to think of dates in terms of days of the week instead of actual dates. Replicate your actions for each following month to ensure compliance and accountability.
Bonus Tips for Consistency
As an extra step, and for good measure, begin to integrate a short 15-minute planning session on Sundays. All you have to do is ensure that every appointment and task that you have for the upcoming week is included in your planner or calendar. This is a great way to prepare for the week ahead and know what’s coming so that you don’t wake up on Monday feeling overwhelmed and restless. I would also recommend integrating a short 5 to 10-minute planning session every evening, before you wind down for the day. This allows you to double check tomorrow’s appointments and tasks, and also allow for some reflection time.
Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/