In a recent blog post written by Madeleine Dore, she spoke about some very important and profound keys parts regarding what exactly it means to be consistent. Some key take aways in which I loved were, "...consistency doesn’t have to be all or nothing – you are not simply consistent or inconsistent, rather it is an accumulation of what we do over time." Think about it, when you look at it from a day to day perspective of what chnage looks like it's often not as clear cut to notice there's anything occuring, however if you look at it from a perspective of years having passed, due to that accumulation over time, you can surely see the difference. Hence her perfect reference from C.S Lewis "It's funny how day to day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different." As a result, I think its often times difficult to notice some of the damage in which being inconsistent really causes until we look back over an extended period of time and maybe even as result have missed out on opportunities, friendships, etc.
Have you ever had an amazing job opportunity? Or went to an event and met a really good networking connection that had the power to put you in the door? Or maybe there's a deadline coming up for an application for a scholarship or a college/grad school program. Yet you may follow through and reach out initially, but how often can we attest to the fact that sometimes these connections, offers and opportunities will reach out and we don't follow through. We forget to respond to an email from the program, leave a text on read or don't follow up the voicemail that was left from your new connect with a phone call. Eventually what happens? the opportunities stop calling, they stop checking in to see if you're interested in this offer and eventually if its the case of family or friends...sometimes they stop putting in the initiative to call and check in all together and grow distant. Then before we know it, programs are no longer offering you opportunities, you can't get a hold of that new connect anymore (and this is usally around the time you really need for it to fall through!), friends and family may have giving up on inviting you to events, calling to check in or even stop being as reliable and dependable as they used to be. And there you find yourself feeling as though you can't get a break!
But it doesn't have to be that way! You don't have to miss these amazing opportunites for jobs, schools, and building a relationship with networking connections, you dont have to lose out on important relationships and get this!.....consistency doesn't even have to be perfect in order for it to be consistent. You dont have to hound these people down everyday or flood their emails and such to maintain the connection, but simply be reminded of how good it feels when you can count on something or someone. The key to how you keep that going is meeting these things and people half way. It's always a two way street and in this world, following through....it's HIGHLY respected especially when its the case of people going out of their way to help make a way for you to excel and catch an opportunity. If you take nothing from today's post, remember this, "consistency is what defines character"...so how do you want to be seen? The opportunity has already presented itself, what will you do to make sure it doesn't pass you by. So work a little harder at being consistent because it's the glue that holds it all together especially when it comes to dealing with people because you can find another opportunity, life's full of them, it might take a hot minute though, but you cant always get back those same connections with the people in your life.