So we’ve heard this statement a bunch. Consistency is key, consistency is key, consistency is key. It’s been drummed into our head time after time after time.

But what does it actually mean? They’re just three words that make a catchy mantra, right? Or are they really?

In this post, I’m going to dig a little deeper into this phrase.

Constant improvement

Constant improvement is probably the number one reason consistency is key. You know the saying, “practice makes perfect”? Same concept here. It doesn’t matter what it is you’re doing, by writing consistently or practicing something constantly, you get better at it. I mean, maybe not perfect – no one reaches perfect. But a lot better than you started as? Definitely.

This means that the more you practice, and the more consistently you do it, the faster you get better at whatever skill it is. Is is writing novels? The more you write, the faster the quality of your writing begins to rise. Is it sport? The more you train, the more you see yourself constantly improving. Practice, practice, practice.

It’s this mindset of I need to do this thing for this amount of time this many times in a week, or a month, or whatever. The key is that the more frequently you practice, the more quickly you can see yourself improve.

Trustworthiness

The other thing about consistency is that in the world of social media, it builds trust among your followers or subscribers or whatever you want to call them.

So I like to post every Wednesday on my blog. It means that I usually have to sit down at least once a week (usually Wednesday afternoons, I’m not gonna lie) and go through nearly the whole process – draft, edit, post. Not to mention the little itty-bitty things like the featured image, posting a story on Instagram to notify people of the new post, and figuring out categories and tags.

That’s a lot of things to do, but I don’t want to sacrifice consistency. (Another way I’ve started to deal with the weekly posts is drafting them out over the weekend, that helps a lot.) Because if I said I was going to post every week on Wednesdays, and didn’t follow up on that promise, how would you see me?

It means I don’t deliver.

It means I don’t keep my word.

In other words, it means that you can’t trust me to do what I say I’m going to do.

And put it that way, I’ll admit, it doesn’t sound good. So if you’ve promised consistency or are already consistent, you don’t want to stop. Occasionally, I remember that some blog or another is expected to post on one day, but I don’t remember if I’ve received a notification. So I go over and check it out, and in some cases, there’s nothing new.

Okay, so that’s a break in consistency, but this is only in the case of unannounced hiatuses. One break is okay. But if the consistency in posts becomes an inconsistency, then, well, maybe there’s a little bit of a problem there – especially when you’re trying to look more professional.

So what?

With all that said and done, please, don’t stress yourself out over consistency. Despite the saying that it is key, it’s not actually that big of a deal. It’s more of something you do that no one notices until, well, you stop doing it.

So don’t push yourself. Consistency is great and all, but if you have to sacrifice too much for it, then maybe rethink it. Know when to change your schedule. If you’re unable to, let’s say, publish a blog post once every three days, look at what’s manageable to YOU.

Consistency can be a cruel thing sometimes, but it’s flexible. Push that blog post to once a week or once a fortnight. Or maybe just write a really long post or film a video and post once a month. Consistency doesn’t have to be doing a particular something every day. You’ve just got to figure out what works best for you. Figure out what your priorities are, what you want to make a habit of doing, then do it. You can crush those tasks like the boss you are.

Talk to me

What are your thoughts on consistency? Do you think it really is the key to success? What are some of your experiences in consistently doing something? Or want some advice on how you can consistently do tasks like blog posts, vlogs, writing, and the like? Comment below!