I'm writing this during the last week of August. We're headed into the Labor Day holiday in the U.S... and it's been a weird week.
Traffic patterns are off... the road was quiet at what is normally a super busy time.
The grocery store was bustling at a time that it usually isn't.
I needed to get some labs done at the hospital and the place was crazy busy... and that's where I learned what's going on:
The kids are getting ready to go back to school. 
So we're in this weird, in-between week where families are savoring the last days of summer while also scrambling to get everything figured out before school begins.
And that's when it really jumped out at me:
We think about our world as though it's consistent, when that's the last thing that it is.
And tied to that?
We tend to chase consistency in our marketing, with the belief that consistency means...
- Taking a particular action regularly
- Not allowing for flexibility or change
- Being the key reason why something didn't work
But I don't think that's exactly right.
For example: One of my goals is to send you an email every single week. I want to stay connected and support you consistently. But...
What about that quiet week deep in the winter holidays when you've stepped away from work? 
Or when real life tears me away from work (like it did a few years ago for 3 whole months!)
Or when one of us is hanging out on a tropical island without our laptops? 
Sure, there are ways to plan around those things if you see them coming... but what if you don't?
Will that lack of consistency break your business?
I can tell you from experience: It won't.
Maybe this is just me, but I'm a huge supporter of what I think of as flexible consistency.
I want to be consistent with these emails, because I want to help you with your marketing and really enjoy talking about the subject.
But if I just sent you five emails last week because I was sharing something important (like the new course I launched last month, or a special offer from an affiliate), I might intentionally not send one this week — to give both of us a breather!
My approach to flexible consistency is very intentional.
In fact, if you were to check out my email signup page, you'd see that it says I send "semi-regular emails."
That's part of my plan and it draws from what I know about myself: I like options and choice. I don't want to feel boxed in, and this is one way to give myself the space I need to show up in a way that feels sustainable.
To be clear: This is just my style. I'm not suggesting that it has to be yours.
What I'm trying to say is this:
You get to decide what "consistent" means for you.
And perhaps when you're clear on what it means, it'll be easier to show up more consistently, in your way -- and that is just one of many key factors that all play together to create the success you're looking for.
I'm curious:
Is consistency something you struggle with? And if so... did this help in some way?
Tell me in the comments. I’d really love to know!
What if your marketing strategy was custom tailored to your introverted, quiet style?
Consistency has been an issue for me for many years; especially when it was an expectation/requirement for a sales position. I often have blamed the issue on the fact that I was diagnosed with ADD (I was 15 and have medication to help me focus), but I am not sure if that could be a cause.
I like that you make it okay not to be consistent. Yes, this helped put things in perspective.
I’m so glad you found this helpful! You get to decide what rhythm works for you – so that it fits your business *and you*. 🙂
Oh no…I go in exactly the opposite direction! I’m highly structured, some might think to a fault! For example…I call my sister once a week and I do it on Tuesdays at 11am. I always do the calling because she isn’t structured like me and maybe wouldn’t call exactly at 11am. I don’t demand this much structure from others, because I’m an introvert and don’t really have that many others in my life. I don’t really think this is a problem, but through all of your experience, maybe you can advise ways I could turn this into an advantage.
Hi! This sounds like something you can lean on in a number of ways… Not just for when you schedule your marketing to go out, but also when to do your marketing. For example, I love using Monday mornings to do my marketing — so much so that in the Introverts Marketing Academy, we do co-working every Monday morning. So pick your best time to do your marketing, and turn that into a regular plan each week. That’s a great way to bring structure into your marketing!