Welcome to episode 9 of the Photo Business Help Podcast! I’m your host, Natalie Jennings.
If you’ve heard the previous few episodes, you’ve definitely heard me drop the phrase: In all that you want to achieve, consistency is key. I want to pull this apart a little bit today and talk about why I believe it so strongly that I sign off of every show saying so. Before we jump in…
A little bit about me…
After 10 years shooting professionally and over 5 years teaching and mentoring hundreds of photographers, I wanted to reach more people. I left my teaching career (high school English) and grew my four digit photo side hustle into my 6-figure business, and I have every intention of continuing to grow and learn and aim higher.
Thanks for tuning in! The lifestyle tips and business-building-know-how in this podcast applies to anyone wanting to grow in business and in life, not just photographers.
Before I dive into this episode’s main content, I want to take a minute to share my appreciation and gratitude for those of you supporting this podcast effort. As of this recording, we have a few itunes reviews, and I want to make a point to give them some airtime here:
Podcast Junkies, 05/04/2019
My new weekly motivation is here!
Excited for this new podcast by Natalie. She is one of the best photographers I know and this mix of business, self-care and productivity tips are going to be a weekly must-listen for me! If you haven't done so already, subscribe!
Thank you! If you’d like to join the review crew, head to jennings.photo/review
So, what do I mean about consistency being key?
If you’re human, than you’ve probably said something, at some point in your life, like: I wish I could play an instrument, I want to learn a language, I’m going to get in shape, I want to start a family, I’m growing a beard this winter, I’ve always wanted to a, b, or c…
We’ve all been inspired by something and wanted to go for it. Maybe it’s a one-off lightning bolt or that thing that creeps up every year or season nagging at you.
For me, one of my billions of things, is learning to speak a second or third language fluently. I’ve lived in Italy and Hawaii, and studied both languages to a choppy, but passable, conversational level…then, after time pulled my attention elsewhere, I became rusty.
If you’ve been there, you know how frustrating this can feel when you’ve let something lapse that if you would’ve kept up with, you’d be killing it by now.
But that’s life. And it’s okay. Some things aren’t meant to be such a big part of your life. But if you’re listening to this, then I’d guess that building a photo or other creative business is something that keeps popping up as a priority for you.
Those things, the ones that keep showing up, are the ones that I believe we should pay real attention to.
So what’s the answer?
It’s pretty simple: consistency.
It’s not a magic wand, by any means. And, sorry Harry Potter lovers (I am one too), those wands look cool, but I haven’t seen one that works…yet. There aren’t any magic wands, and you know that.
But there is a magic formula, and you don’t have to be a numbers person to get it:
Consistency.
What does consistency really mean?
I love the growing out your hair analogy. If long hair is your goal, I think it’s a pretty damn tough thing to measure daily…even weekly for some people. Monthly, you can see a little progress. Annually…you get the point.
I’m recording these words, one after the other. But as I’m putting things together to share with you each day, the actual impact and measurable distance to my goals by doing this, isn’t very measurable.
BUT
This is episode 9. Which IS measurable. It’s not 0. It’s number 9. And that’s just straight up consistency.
Here’s another example: language.
I decided that I was going to settle on Spanish because there was a better chance I’d use it more often. I mean, I get back to Hawaii as often as possible, but I don’t exactly use what I learned very often.
So, I’m coming up on three years using Duolingo and reading kids books and watching films and practicing with friends, if it arises. I’m FAR from where I want to be, but I made a commitment to myself to open the damn app EVERY SINGLE DAY no matter what.
But the key to my consistency is not in the daily goal, it’s the amount of time I require. Just 5 minutes. Those 5 minutes often turn into 30, but on days where I’m not feeling it, it’s still 5. And that one new word I learn each day, or review each day, has slowly grown into a vocabulary.
I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS. We all do.
But I promise you, it is rock solid. This goes for things you DON’T want to accumulate in your life, too. Gaining weight, falling behind in a project, stacks of dishes in the sink…everything accumulates, one way or the other. You just have to make the decision that you’re always growing towards what you want, even if it seems too tiny to measure.
If you’re not even sure where to start, I shared an easy and powerful exercise in previous episodes that should get the wheels turning. From there, it’s up to you! Head to jennings.photo/mindsetbasics
Remember:
In all things you want to achieve, consistency is key.
Love and light until next time,
N
