The Consistency Myth: Why It Doesn’t Work for My Beautifully Wired Brain
They say consistency is the key to online success, but what if that’s just a myth?
I used to believe it too, until I realized the way I was trying to be “consistent” was actually killing my creativity, draining my energy, and loading me with shame.
I’ve tried to do it “right”.
The daily posts, the perfectly timed content, the careful calendar planning.
And I can keep it going… for a while. But inevitably, my energy dips, the balance tips, and I vanish for days, weeks, sometimes months.
When that happens, the shame spiral starts: “See? You can’t follow through. No wonder you’re not getting anywhere.”
I am working very hard to remove that shame from my life. Because the truth is — my attempts at traditional consistency are not working for me. And they never really have.
Why the “Consistency Rule” is Everywhere
I get it — algorithms love predictability. They reward accounts that show up the same way, same time, over and over. Humans respond that way too — when someone shows up regularly, we start to trust they’ll be there.
The problem? Those rules were built for brains that thrive on steady, repetitive patterns. My brain? Not so much. My creativity comes in bursts, like a summer storm — intense, exciting, and impossible to schedule on repeat.
And here’s the thing: I believe the internet is supposed to be an equal opportunity playground. Anyone can show up and try something. Who says we have to create the way someone else says we should? Especially for those of us who are neurodivergent, it’s not natural to squash our creativity into someone else’s formula just because “that’s how it’s done.”
The Myth vs The Truth
The Myth:
Consistency means showing up every day, same time, same way, forever. If you break the streak, you lose momentum and your audience forgets you.
The Truth:
Consistency is simply staying visible over time — and there’s more than one way to do that.
My ADHD-Friendly Consistency Map
This week, I sat down with ChatGPT (yes, I’m saying it out loud — I use it as my creative co-pilot) and said, “I need another way. This daily grind is not sustainable for me.”
Together, we came up with something I’m calling my ADHD-Friendly Consistency Map — a different way of thinking about showing up online that doesn’t require me to be a robot.
Here’s what it looks like:
| Area | Traditional Consistency | My ADHD-Friendly Version |
|---|---|---|
| Posting Schedule | Daily, same time | Seasonal rhythms (2 months active, 1 month light) |
| Content Volume | Always making new things | Batch during hyperfocus, schedule to drip out |
| Platform Dependence | Rely on one main feed | Have an evergreen home base (blog, YouTube, Pinterest) |
| Style/Format | Same format every time | Keep my voice and values steady, even if formats change |
| Audience Nurture | Engage daily | Minimum viable presence (monthly email, occasional post) |
| Content Use | Post once and done | Repurpose and recycle often |
The biggest shift? For me, consistency is no longer “same thing, same time, forever”.
It’s “I stay visible in ways my brain can sustain.”
My Honest Plan Moving Forward
I’m going to give this new approach an honest try. I want to see what happens if I work with my energy cycles instead of fighting them. If I stop chasing streaks and start building rhythms. If I let myself recycle and reuse without feeling guilty.
Because the other thing I know about ADHD? We can disappear from social feeds and still succeed — if we’ve built systems where our work lives on without us having to show up every single day. That’s why I’m leaning more on evergreen content and my email list, and less on “beat the algorithm or die trying.”
If You’re in the Same Boat
If traditional consistency leaves you drained, maybe it’s time to rewrite the rules. You don’t have to buy into the consistency myth to succeed. You can build something sustainable, visible, and wildly yours — without burning out your beautifully wired brain.
💌 PS: If you want a copy of my ADHD-Friendly Consistency Map to try for yourself, I’ve turned it into a printable PDF. Sign up below. Grab it, stick it on your wall, and let’s see what happens when we stop forcing ourselves into schedules that were never built for our brains in the first place.
👇Yes, send me the ADHD-Friendly Consistency Map👇
