Consistency vs Persistence

Consistency vs Persistence is something I’ve been thinking about lately.

In my early days of corporate life, all of my feedback was excellent bar one thing - I needed to be more consistent.

I don’t know if this is where that particular story was born, or if it was just an echo of an earlier experience. But from it, shame stemmed forth and for most of my 20s I goaded myself constantly, my lack of consistency frustrating me.

Mentally I could plan, create the framework, see the daily action required… but I couldn’t do the doing.

I couldn’t get up at 5am every day for a run. I couldn’t write blogs every week. I didn’t have the energy.

It made me feel forever behind, forever striving for this underlying goal:

Be. More. Consistent.

I do think there’s merit to consistency. I show up for regular appointments I have scheduled. It’s important that I meditate daily, take my supplements, and move my body in ways that are supportive… That there are these loose routines for me to follow.

But this belief that I had to keep showing up even when I felt drained and ready to retreat.... It didn’t make sense. It didn’t honour my cycles, my goals, my intuition.

And it made me feel like shit.

Enter; Persistence.

Persistence is my way of re-writing this belief that it will only work if I’m consistent.

Persistence is failing upwards.

Persistence creates space for flexibility, for doing things differently.

Persistence allows for grace in moments of disappointment.

Persistence is forgiving. Of the mis-steps. The lost opportunities. The unexpected twists and turns.

Persistence listens, adapts, changes. She melds to what’s happening around her, within her.

Persistence teaches that rest is ok, that lying low is fine. That authenticity is paramount and that there’s plenty. Of. Time.

Persistence keeps me coming back here after days or weeks of silence.

Persistence invites you back here to play with me, to listen to me, to work with me - when I’m ready… And when you’re ready to.

I’m persisting, because I love what I do; and I want to feel supported and lit up doing it.

Different strokes for different folks and all of that, but maybe persistence is calling you too?

E x