The Secret to Staying Consistent

Episode 53 transcript: The Secret to Staying Consistent

Why consistency is not a discipline problem

Hey there, and welcome to episode 53 of your fun and profitable online business. This is the podcast where we talk about growing your business in ways that actually feel good, not with hustle, and definitely not built in forcing yourself to do things you secretly hate. I'm Wendy Muzzy, a certified money coach and online business strategist, and I help women entrepreneurs grow businesses that are both fun and profitable. And today we're talking about consistency. Because if I had a dollar for every time someone said, I just need to be more consistent, I'd have, well, a really profitable business from that sentence alone. If you've ever felt like you started strong, you're excited, and then a few weeks later you fade out and fall off, I want you to hear this clearly. You're not alone. And this episode's for you. Now, I wanna say this upfront, because this is the reframe that everything else is really built upon. The secret to staying consistent isn't more discipline. It's not trying even harder. And it's definitely not copying someone else's routine and wondering why it feels awful for you. There is a secret though. And once you see it, consistency stops feeling like something you have to force. And it starts feeling like something you can actually trust yourself with.

Why consistency feels hard

Now let's start off by talking about why consistency feels so hard in the first place. Most women I talk to aren't inconsistent because they're unmotivated or because they're not serious. They struggle because they've been taught the wrong definition of consistency. Somewhere along the way, it turned into this idea that you have to show up even when you're exhausted and keep up the same pace no matter what season of life you're in. And sometimes it's really intense, like you have to do it every single day. And usually, it's something they don't even enjoy doing anyway. So when they can't keep that up, it starts to feel personal. They say things like, what's wrong with me? Everyone else seems to have this under control. But here's the truth: I want to let it land. When something feels off, it's not a character flaw. It's just a data point. It's information. It's your business quietly saying, this doesn't fit. And that version of not fitting could mean a lot of things. It might be how you work, might not fit your values, maybe your energy, or it may not fit how you actually serve your clients. And none of this means you failed. It just means you need some adjusting.

A real-life consistency struggle

And I want to be real with you here. I've been here. In fact, I'm here right now. The number one area I personally struggle with is consistency on social media. Last year, I tested some different things on Instagram, and I did a podcast episode on it, and I liked parts of it. I really enjoyed experimenting, and I learned a lot. But I still struggle with being consistent there. What actually happens? I push it off. I use the word should a lot, and I end up not showing up at all. Not because I don't care, and not because I don't understand the value, but because right now, it's not fully aligned for me. And instead of beating myself up for that, I'm choosing to apply the same tools I'm talking about today and that I've used elsewhere in my business. If you want to follow along to see how it goes, you can join my email list at wendymuzzy.com/join.

Consistency comes from alignment

All right, let's talk about what the actual secret is. Consistency comes from being in alignment. And when things start to feel slippery, there are three places I always check first.

Check the right place

First, are you trying to be consistent in the right place? Sometimes we're trying to be consistent on the wrong platform or with the wrong offer or at the wrong pace. Instead of asking, how can I keep up with this? I want you to try asking, if this were easier, what would it look like? This is where I hear clients get stuck sometimes. They think consistency means sticking with the same thing because they already chose it. For example, maybe they're using an email platform because it's what they started with, but they don't like the layout or it doesn't match how their brain works or nothing about it feels intuitive. So they avoid emailing their list, not because they don't wanna connect, but because the tool itself creates friction. Here's the point. Consistency doesn't mean never changing. It means being intentional and making adjustments so you can actually stick with it.

Define your minimum version of success

Second, what's your minimum version of success? This one is huge. Sometimes people quit because their definition of showing up is way too big. So let me ask you, what's the smallest version of consistency that still counts for you? Maybe it's two newsletters a month instead of weekly. Maybe it's a few 25-minute focus blocks instead of forcing yourself to sit at a computer for eight hours straight. Or maybe it's one clear priority instead of 10 quote-unquote urgent and important things. The goal here is to set the bar low enough that you don't have to argue with yourself to take action. You can always add more later.

Measure a useful outcome

Third, what outcome are you measuring? Now this one is sneaky. If the only thing motivating your consistency is likes or sales or immediate feedback, it's likely to feel fragile. Instead, try tracking different wins. Maybe that's your momentum changing or your confidence or you're just really clear with where you're headed or that moment a client says, that really helped and made an impact. And sometimes the win is simply showing up without negotiating with yourself first. It all counts.

How consistency builds self-trust

Now, when you stop forcing consistency and you start designing your business and yourself around it, something really beautiful happens. You trust yourself more. You release that quiet guilt of, I should be doing more. And what I see over and over again with clients, their business starts to feel more stable. They start saying, yeah, I can do this. That's the kind of consistency that lasts time and time again.

Create your consistency anchor

All right, here's your action step for today. I want you to finish this sentence. I can consistently show up for my business by fill in the blank. There's no overthinking here. There's no ideal version of you that you need to fill in for. Just what feels true to you right now. Now that sentence then becomes your anchor. When things start to feel scattered, when your energy dips, when your consistency starts to feel heavy again, come back to that sentence and let it be your guiding point.

Build consistency around yourself

So today we talked about why consistency isn't about discipline and how misalignment is often the real issue. Look, consistency isn't something you force. It's something you build around yourself. and when you do, your business gets lighter and a whole lot more fun.

Practice consistency with support

Now, if consistency feels hard right now, I wanna invite you to something that makes it easier. I host a fun and profitable power hour most weeks. It's focused, it's a supportive space where you don't have to hype yourself up to figure out what to work on. You show up, pick one thing and we co-work together in short, gentle focus blocks. It's consistency without forcing. You can join the next one at wendymuzzy.com/powerhour. And until next time, happy being consistent.