Consistency will save you
how consistency guided me through the difficult seasons in life and why I will never let it go.
Unwind is a space where I write about things that matter in life. The ones that hold meaning, but we often lose sight of them while being surrounded by chaos. I explore the messy, interesting parts about growing up, embracing peace, dealing with failure, and much more. If any of this resonates, I would love for you to join me on this journey. I am beyond grateful for every tap on this subscribe button!
I live a life that most people would say is good enough. A professional degree at 25 that many take close to a decade to achieve. The luxury of being surrounded by loved ones. Making the most of my time on Earth with my parents. A decent-paying job which allows me to earn a stable income while pursuing my hobbies on the side.
Those people never saw the nights I cried myself to sleep because the pressure of it all was too much to bear. They did not see the potential friendships I let go of, travel plans I cancelled, and the sleepless nights I pulled off to be where I am today. Life is not easy for anybody (all the more reason to be kind to each other). We have our own set of problems, insecurities and restrictions that stand in the way of growth. That make us feel stuck, and in some cases, not enough.
But let me tell you that it is absolutely okay to be imperfect. We all are. We took years to learn how to walk, talk, read and write. All we did was show up and let time do its thing. It made me realise that maybe showing up, especially on days when everything feels out of control, matters.
I may not have answers to all the problems in the world, but I know that consistency will save us. Because it saved me from slipping into some really dark pits in life. Much like the light at the end of a tunnel.
When life gets tough, the most convenient thing we want to do is hide. Close off so nobody can see the pain. But what if, instead of withdrawing, we take a step forward? Be consistent. Perhaps not lay ourselves bare open, but in little, gentler ways that do not feel like a burden.
The last few years have been a challenge indeed. Yet, the steady presence of certain things saved me from falling off the cliff. They mattered in ways I did not fully understand at the time, but gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it in life. We all have these anchors, carrying us through the difficult seasons. Even through the easier ones. You won’t realise how much they support steady growth until one day you look back and see that consistency blossom into something valuable.
How consistency saved me in the last few years
Writing for my weekly newsletter. For the last half-decade, I walked on a fine thread, juggling my corporate job and studying for my actuarial exams. In the midst of this chaos, writing weekly to about a thousand people scattered all over the world saved me. I saw negative spirals, dark pits and a full-blown corporate burnout right in the eye and chose to walk away in silence. Because how on Earth did I spend my career so far trying to prove my worth in the corporate world, only to receive so much love for simply being myself here on Substack? They say that finding your centre helps you navigate the big and small challenges in life. Writing has become my centre.
When you stop obsessing over how far you have come and focus instead on showing up consistently as yourself, the need to outperform everyone around you begins to fade. The key is to notice your centre and return to it each day.
I was never a self-aware teenager. But through my 20s, I have tried to be consistent with discovering who I really am and what kind of things I enjoy (or not enjoy) doing. The best way to do that, I have realised, is by trying new things. Be it an adventure sport or a beginner’s class in the most random things on the planet. Showing up for things that challenged me positively and felt like a tiny step outside my comfort zone saved me from spiralling into self-doubt. I know who I am a little bit better than yesterday. This knowledge has come with consistent effort. And I think I like this version of me a lot.
One of the things I was really particular about ever since I started making my own money was to be consistent with investing. And man, did I tell you it did not disappoint!
Money, when managed well, can solve many problems in life. Consistent investing has taught me that big things can usually be built with small efforts. One day you are busy focusing on climbing the tougher parts of the mountain; the next day you realise you have made it to the top. It is as simple as that.
I hope that today, when you look back at your journey, you realise that consistency saved you all along. I hope you choose to build on it further after seeing how far you’ve come because of it. Keep showing up. Keep doing your thing.
It got you till here; let it take you even further.
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This Week’s Recommendations
Life on a lower income by Kevin Gelder. Proof that you don’t need to chase more money to live a meaningful life.
Sometimes, Everything Does Work Out by SJ. we don’t have to know exactly how life will unfold , but the fact that we can be hopeful about things working out in the end makes it worth living.
30 Reminders To Boost Your Self-Esteem by delicatehibiscus. I saw these reminders at the perfect time in my life. Maybe you need them too!
Work, Relevance, and Meaning by Patrick Muindi. A thought provoking read by one of my favourite writers here on Substack!
Consistency isn't sexy, it's not dazzling. So, it's hard to sing its praises ... until we see what we accomplish through it. To see its value, we look back, not forward. Thank you for this, Mansi, and for sharing this and these others' posts.
Thank you so much for linking to my article Mansi 🙏🏼 I have to admit, being inconsistent is probably one of my biggest challenges, rooted within an even deeper self-belief issue - I have been prone to starting or planning something, only to let it go when I’ve felt less than worthy. I will take a leaf out of your book and practise consistency more consistently!
I also love this point: ‘But let me tell you that it is absolutely okay to be imperfect.’ So true! It seems to me to be better to live life skilfully and kindly than to try to live life perfectly.