It turns out, I took a break from blogging while I’ve been testing Keepin’ it REAL in the Age of AI. I wasn’t sure how much I would blog once I committed to a more rigorous experiment. I definitely made it less of a priority. So I didn’t do it.
That's not to say I haven't done anything. I’ve accomplished a lot in the last three months.
Not doing a thing, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not being productive. Though we can easily kid ourselves. Judge ourselves for not doing it all.
Here's the thing, no one does it all.
Just like success is personal, so is productivity. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to being productive and getting things done. And there certainly isn't a magic number of tasks you need to get done in a day or projects you need to complete in a month to be a worthy human being.
As leaders and entrepreneurs we receive a tremendous amount of pressure to do more, achieve more, produce more. There are endless messages that tell us we aren't doing enough. There are countless new opportunities beseeching us to use the latest app or platform, presented as essential to our success. There's mounting fear that if we don't do the thing we are failing.
A part of me fell into that trap. A part of me felt like I was failing at being consistent in my marketing and outreach without blogging weekly. A part of me saw my hiatus as more evidence of my inability to "stick with anything."
But here's the thing, I'm celebrating 13 years in business at Rosabella Consulting. I've STUCK with it longer than many of my friends have stayed at any one job! Sure, I've tried A LOT of different marketing messages, programs, tactics, strategies, frameworks, outreach efforts, etc. I've pivoted, iterated and evolved so much my earlier efforts barely resemble my current business.
But I haven't given up. Not now and not ever. Even though there've been times where I've thought about it. Even though there've been dark nights of my soul where my fingers lingered on job openings on LinkedIn and I've wondered, "should I?" as tears streamed down my face.
Consistency isn't always about sticking with a streak. I have coached many clients through this over the years. They've beat themselves up for not sticking with something. While I've helped them celebrate how taking a break reinforced that it was, indeed, a valuable endeavor worth prioritizing. And that simple shift reduces the resistance in their path forward.
More often than not, being consistent means coming back to the thing that works that was temporarily abandoned again (and again). Sometimes consistency is renegotiating commitments so they fit. And quite often, consistency is a matter of matching our work with the cycles inherent in life - the lilac bush outside my house only blooms once a year (and it smells divine right now).
I know there are people that boost publishing blogs daily, running daily, posting on social daily. I will likely never be one of those people. Why? Because I yearn for variety and the chance to pursue creative endeavors. And I thrive when I get to do just that.
If you find judgemental thoughts creeping into your mind about not being productive enough, or consistent enough, stop believing them. They are likely being reinforced by loads of messages telling you that you must perform at some unrealistic level to "make it" in life.
Stop beating yourself up for not doing the thing and show yourself compassion. You're likely doing way more than you're giving yourself credit for. And once you start looking for evidence that shows you just how well you are doing, you'll be able to let all the fear that you're not doing good enough roll off your back.
So, what's gonna happen with my blog here? Truthfully, I don't know. I've missed writing blogs and I have to work within the limits of my capacity while focusing on my priorities. I guess you'll know more whenever I publish my next blog, and I hope that's good enough for you because it is for me.
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