Consistency Works Better Than Rigidity

My brain is struggling. I’ve been feeling more prone to zoning out lately, and having a hard time concentrating. 

I want to sit down and read my silly little rom com holiday novel, but I can’t seem to get on a roll. And I don’t think it’s the book’s fault.

As I write this blog, my babysitter is at home with the kids (winter break has arrived) so I can have a few hours to knock out anything I need to get done for the week. 

Not to toot my own horn, but I’m usually pretty good at being productive. But MAN my brain is mush right now. I am getting distracted on Instagram more easily, struggling to sit still even though I also don’t feel like moving, and generally feel disoriented. 

We can probably blame a bit of it on my PMDD, but I also have to remind myself of this simple fact:

I am a human being, not a robot.

We all know that in order to create the life we want, we must be consistent in our choices to get us there. I’m a big proponent of consistency!

I churn out a blog post every Monday. 

A podcast episode every Tuesday.

A newsletter every Wednesday.

When I wrote my book, I wrote 500 words a day – no matter what. One small bite of the elephant at a time!

And yet…some days those 500 words would take 20 minutes, and sometimes they’d take me well over an hour.

We cannot expect ourselves to be able to function with the same energy and capacity day after day. We can show up the best we can, but that “best” will yield massively different outcomes. And instead of jumping through hoops to figure out how to keep our energy at HIGH 100% percent of the time, I wonder if we should instead learn to ride the wave.

I’ve been training myself to do this more and more. Rather than spiraling on productivity hacks and muscling through the hard days, I say to myself, “This is going to take longer than usual, and that’s okay.”

This can go for those of us in creative industries, where creative juices ebb and flow. Which – let’s be real – is part of the power of creativity. It’s in the rest that we find growth. But it’s equally true for home management – or really anything in life that requires energy: Parenthood, fitness, knitting, you name it. 

If you are on a roll decluttering your home, then wake up one day and feel like you’re walking through molasses and can’t make a decision to save your life – don’t fret or give up. Ride the wave. Say “today I’m going to have to go a bit slower,” and trust that your energy will return again when it’s good and ready.

Instead of being rigid with how much you produce or how quickly, focus on showing up in whatever way you can. 

Showing up at all is the power of consistency. (Example: I’m writing this at the library right now, knowing I will have to ask my babysitter to stay longer because I’m taking too long…but hey! At least I made it to the library!)

The self-criticism and perfectionism is the rigidity.

So remember this: It’s okay to be human. We all are!