Consistency is wonderful in many arenas. Society expects people and collective groups to go about daily tasks in a predictable way. Here are a few examples:
1) In personality and action. A person may undergo a psychological evaluation if they are not consistent in behavior. This can occur if someone changes noticeably, acting erratic, possibly destructively from their “usual” selves or deviates from accepted and expected social norms in a given environment.
2) In the workplace. Employers like reliable employees, people who will stick to a schedule, contribute to a steady workplace arrangement, and not muss up too many hairdos.
3) In parenting. Most children learn from, subconsciously crave, and need consistency. Research on attachment styles and self-help books by the armful discuss this in great detail. I only have these to go by, because I am really relying on my therapeutic approach…I don’t know what it’s like to have a very wide awake toddler bouncing all over the house at 5 am. On a Saturday.
4) Personal banking (credit/debit/savings). I’m certified in Personal Finance Management and plan to write more about this topic as I continue to apply money-saving tactics to my life. Impulse spenders may find this particular task difficult or those with more expenses than available income can find themselves under the burden of debt and financial hardship. Yet, personal bank accounts thrive under an habitual flow of deposited funds versus withdrawals, within reason. This is why the first credit card statement after the winter holiday season is one many dread the most.
However, consistency does not work well all the time. You can certainly bowl over all the examples above with but what if scenarios until I close up shop and take a vow of silence in some remote mountainside monastery.
Consistency, while a positive trait, can lead to stagnation. In the blogging industry, regular posting is fantastic (and something I’m also working to improve on this site), but trending topics change and freelancers need to always work toward enhancement and jumping on new opportunities. One cannot move ahead and plan the next best thing if they are not willing to take risks, learn, and implement something off the well-worn path now and then.
“Consistency is key”, but don’t forget to leave room for growth.
