One of the seemingly difficult things to do is to be consistent.
Consistent in our creative work, in building our businesses, taking care of our health, staying in relationship with friends and family, or in our spiritual practice.
We all need some form of consistency in our lives but despite this knowledge, why is it still hard to be consistent?
Before we address that, it is pertinent to point out that it isn’t always hard to be consistent. There are times when it is easy to maintain a level of consistency.
When are those times?
- When we feel safe.
- When we are surrounded by effective support systems like decent work, decent health insurance and care, decent housing, decent air and water quality, in-person connection and community, etc.
- When we have basic, healthy boundaries in place. (Difficult when your home is bursting with people who don’t usually live there.)
- When we are doing things we genuinely care about or that we know support us in doing what we genuinely care about.
- When we remember nobody need give us permission and there aren’t any rules.
- When we see the impossible standards of modern life for what they are — a major distraction and energy drain — and, instead, embrace our human-scaled life.
- When we keep asking ourselves, “What do I want to be consistent about and why?”
- When we have mercy on ourselves and others.
- When we always begin again, but only on what we value.
People always want to know how to be consistent. I believe you also want to know how to be consistent, that’s why you’re still reading.
But the main question you should ask is “why do I want to be consistent?
Consistency for consistency’s sake can become a false god that demands endless sacrifices of your time and life’s energy for no good reason.
Consistency to ground you and help you create more of a life that sings with your signature themes and desires, and health and well-being? That’s the good kind.
The world is full of noisy advice and bossy shoulds about how to live your “best” life. How would anyone else know that but you?
You may think you want to know how to be consistent, but —
For the sake of what will you be consistent?
Is that consistency possible given your current life and the pandemic? Probably yes but maybe not like before. Can you be open to change?
If it isn’t, what needs to change? Your demands on yourself? Your boundaries? Your support systems?
Understanding the need for consistency and what it would cost you to be consistent is the key to be consistent.
Be flexible, be open to changes because life cannot be a hundred percent predictable so don’t be afraid to switch protocols when life happens.
Knowing why you do the things you do will help you put in your best and be consistent at things without pressure.
To your life, lived the only way it can be–by you. No forcing, no holding back.
Comments are closed.