This is my tenth article of the year. That means I have published an article every week since the second week of this year. I had doubts at the start about my ability to write consistently, so it is remarkable, at least to me, that I have managed to stay on track. During a phone conversation with one of my friends yesterday, he asked, “I know you have a lot on your plate, so how have you managed to write consistently while doing everything else you do? Do you not get tired?”. I had written and scheduled another article for today, but I thought it would be more fitting to share in this article some of the points on consistency I discussed with my friend.
It is true that I have a lot on my plate. I have a regular job that is flexible but demanding. I am also building two different types of products - a B2C product for podcast listeners and creators and a B2B product for remote and hybrid teams. I also spend considerable time nurturing my relationships with friends and family. On top of all of that, I added regular writing. It is a lot. From the onlooker’s perspective, it may appear that I am doing all of this effortlessly without breaking a sweat. Some people have expressed this sentiment to me, and I tell them nothing is farther from the truth. I struggle sometimes. I drop the ball now and then. It may appear that things are smooth sailing because I rarely share the pain from the amount of hard work it takes to be on top of everything I do.
It takes a lot of hard work, and I put in serious hours, but it would be remiss not to point out that I have some advantages. I am an unmarried guy with no kids. My primary responsibility is to myself, and the effect of that cannot be discounted. Not having to chase around a boisterous kid all day means I tend to have a lot of energy and time to myself later in the day. I channel all that free time and energy into my projects. My friend, whom I spoke to yesterday, is married and has one kid, and I raised that point to him, to which he replied, “Yeah, but not everyone with free time and energy uses it as well as you do. Free time doesn’t explain your consistency”.
The truth is that I sometimes dread the hard work. I hate it sometimes. Since I started writing again, there have been days I didn’t feel up to it. But there is something I learnt pretty early, and it is that it is important to honour one’s commitments and not one’s feelings. It’s a simple statement, but it works powerfully for me. Whenever I don’t feel up to a task, I will myself to do it by repeating that simple statement. It’s like reminding myself that I made a commitment to myself, and I’d hate to let myself down. That simple statement is the core foundation upon which my consistency is built. I hate letting myself down.
Yet, I am human, and I often let myself down, so accountability is another layer upon which I build my consistency. This newsletter serves as a tool of accountability. I know a handful of people now look forward to receiving an email from me on Sunday evenings, and I’d hate to let them down. I can easily forgive myself and rationalise my decisions when I let myself down, but I try to avoid letting others down because it eats at me. That’s why accountability is an effective tool for me.
Those two layers of personal and group accountability work well for me, and they help me stay consistent in almost every area of my life, but without good physical and mental health, nothing will get done. No amount of will can push a weak body and mind to do anything. It is why I take my fitness seriously. I run and cycle regularly, I am starting to get into strength training, and I take long walks/bicycle rides in parks when the weather permits. Life is a marathon, and I remind myself to take breaks. I dive into fiction, which transports my mind away from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life. It does wonders for my mental health. I also try not to skimp on sleep. I try to get at least seven hours of sleep every day. The effects on my body and my general fitness level cannot be overstated. I always regret it when I don’t get enough sleep.
Something else I do that helps me stay fresh and motivated, and in effect, consistent, is my weekly café trip. There is this quaint cafe close to my house that I visit at least once a week. I get a beaming smile from the older woman who owns the place, and I order a nice plate of English breakfast, a glass of oat milk latte, and a fresh Apple juice. I stay there for a few hours and read a book; sometimes, I stare outside the large windows and look at people walking by. I don’t know why it makes me so happy, but having something to look forward to every week fills me with utter delight. If you ever visit West London and would like to chat in the finest coffee shop in the world, feel free to reach out to me.
I hope you have a great week, and I hope you find methods that work for you on your path to finding consistency. Wagmi!
"It is important to honour one's commitments and not one's feelings." I've noticed this is one of the "habits of highly effective people". It's very difficult to practise but it is so important; it's also a way to build integrity. I also love the bit about accountability. Sometimes, I beat myself up for my inconsistency but then I remember I did a 30-day series (29 because I had to skip a day) and it was largely a success because I had people that were looking forward to my posts, people I couldn't let down. It's definitely a system I should explore more. Thank you for sharing these nuggets 💙