brush your teeth: a note on consistency

Dear you,

I woke up thinking I had missed Tuesday. For some reason, I thought today was Wednesday, and I was freaking out badly. I thought I had missed sending this letter. I picked my laptop to draft the letter anyway because I had committed to writing you weekly, and even if I had missed a day, I wasn't going to let that stop me. Luckily, today is Tuesday, and I have not missed a day. However, I think one day I will, but I don't think I'll stop because I missed a day.

Here's why:

During the lockdown in 2020, many of my Instagram followers asked me: Blessing, how do I stay consistent? They often tried to emphasise their lack of consistency by telling me how they have never been consistent at anything.

The question kept bugging me until one day, I stood in the mirror, brushing my teeth, and it occurred to me that I had brushed my teeth every day for a long time. And I figured most people were consistent with at least five things: brushing, bathing, eating, sleeping, and talking. Why were they consistent at these things and not consistent at other things?

I wondered...

You brush your teeth daily, right? (I hope you said yes ??). But imagine, you missed a day, maybe because your bae brought you breakfast in bed or because you had an emergency and literally bolted out of the house... whatever the reason, just imagine you missed a day. Does this mean you will never brush your teeth again? Will you cower in shame and say, "Oh! I missed a day of brushing; what would the world say if I brush tomorrow? I'm ashamed that I missed one day, so I will never brush again ??

No! (At least I really hope you said no ??).

That right there is what consistency is about. That's how it works. Missing a day but coming back and continuing exactly where you stopped, sometimes with even more effort. Like you would if you missed a day of brushing your teeth. No one is consistent 100% of the time. We all miss a day but what keeps you great is your ability to pick yourself up and continue instead of stopping completely.

This personal principle has helped me. I missed days of showing up in 2021, but I am back now, writing and making up for all the lost time. I feel no regret, just excitement for what is to come.

Sustainable growth demands a level of consistency, and remember, the goal is growth, not perfection. So, show up as often as you can. If you miss a day (or days), you pick up from where you left off. If you fail, we will try again tomorrow until we achieve our goals.

You don't stop brushing your teeth because you missed a day. Apply the same energy to your work and everything else you want to be consistent at.

With love,

Blessing Abeng

Sidebar: What is one thing you need to pick up again and consistently do? Tell me.