Rachel Lee
Struggling With Consistency? Read This!
Updated: Mar 12
I'm going to start this blog post with a confession... I really didn't feel like writing this today 😅
When I first started this blog, I vowed to myself that I would release one new blog post every single week... "in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, through the good times and the bad", I was so COMMITTED to making it happen that I completely overlooked the fact that there are going to be days when I'm just not "feeling it".
And this is completely normal! In fact...
You shouldn't rely on "inspiration" to dictate your actions
The idea that you need to feel "inspired" in order to take action is unfortunately a myth that I needed to unlearn during my time in design school... a setting in which I needed to churn out ideas at the pace of a factory assembly line.
While the feeling of inspiration can certainly help you get the fire going, it's unreliable because of the very fact that feelings are unpredictable and hard to control.
Instead, it's better to set up a system that you can fall back on when you're just having "one of those days".
And the ironic thing is...
Systems don't have to be complicated.
In fact, the simpler your system, the better!
The reason I say that is because we often complicate our workflow so much that we are actually creating more barriers than we are overcoming our roadblocks.
A "system" is simply a structure that you put in place to ensure that you do specific things at a specific time in a specific way. This can be as structured or as loose as you need it to be, as long as it helps you get the job done.
Here's an example of the system that I have set up for my blog to ensure consistency
When: Every weekend I sit down to write my weekly blog post in preparation for its release on Monday at 9am PST along with my email newsletter. I keep the writing time loose since my plans often vary from week to week (along with my mood).
What: A single blog post covering a topic about branding that I feel requires attention based on either conversations I've had with clients, or personal experiences that happened throughout the week.
How: I carve out at least 6 hours to sit down in front of my computer with a hot cup of green tea and some focus music playing in the background so that I can reflect on my week and be really intentional with my writing. I always try to write the same way that I would talk in real life, and I would never push out something that I don't feel good about!
Troubleshooting: If I'm feeling stuck for ideas, I reference my "idea vault". This is basically a note that I keep on my phone where all of my random ideas are documented. I add ideas to my vault throughout the week as I get inspired from conversations or personal experiences.
So how do you maintain overall brand consistency?
Like I mentioned before, simplicity is king when it comes to maintaining consistency.
The key is to set a standard that you'll keep across all areas of your brand, whether online or offline. It can look like:
Having the same profile picture across all your social platforms
Using the same titles, keywords or taglines in all your profile descriptions
Using the same colours and fonts across all your content
Maintaining a specific theme your content
Keeping your personality consistent in all written, verbal and face-to-face interactions
Being known for doing that ONE thing really well
Etc...
Basically speaking... without consistency, there is no brand.
It's important to our customers, clients and fans to know that they can depend on us to show up the exact same way every single time.
By setting up systems and standards that help us maintain our consistency, it shows our audience that we are just as committed to them as they are to us!
This is the secret to building trust and winning the loyalty of your supporters... by staying consistent! 💖
If you need some more help with your branding...
Book a quick call with me to learn more about how I can be supporting you with your branding and see if we're the right fit to be working together! 👇