What Showing Up Looks Like

Photo by Chroki Chi on Unsplash

For anyone trying to be someone, showing up is the most important ingredient.

Plastered on every self-improvement guru’s Twitter or Instagram page is some mantra or another about the importance of consistency,

Consistency this, consistency that — but what does consistency actually look like?

Consistency is small.

It looks like writing just one sentence for that book you’re trying to finish, because everything else in life is a disaster but you forced yourself to get that sentence out.

Consistency is tiring.

It’s when you’ve put your all into your previous three exercises but you committed to making your “this time it’s different,” actually different.

Consistency is ostracizing.

It’s found in those moments when your friends will say “you need to loosen up a bit” and invite you out, but you know better and decline.

I’ve always felt there to be an illusion of beauty around consistency. People try to say that being consistent will look and feel amazing, that you’ll be able to recognize those moments when you’re thugging it out and pushing to be a better person.

The reality is, it’s not as clear-cut and inspiring in the moment. Consistency only looks good after the fact.

If you’re in a season of life where you’re demanding consistency of yourself and have struggled so hard with it, then know you’re not alone. We’re all fighting our own battles, and it won’t be big, energizing, or a cause for celebration in the moment.

But you need to show up.

It doesn’t have to be anything but the bare minimum on your worst days, but it does need to be something.