Consistent Effort: The Only Way to Build a Body of Work
And the best way to get through the tough weeks
I subscribe to daily notes from the Universe, and I love them. Short, positive, inspirational notes that read as if they were sent directly to you, from the Universe. One that landed in my inbox recently read:
Consistent effort, Karen, no matter how small, sparks magic, fills sails, butters bread, turns tides, instills faith, summons friends, improves health, burns calories, creates abundance, yields clarity, builds courage, spins planets, and rewrites destinies.
No matter how small,
  The Universe
This week has been a tough one. I’m currently the primary caregiver for a family member whose health is declining, on top of being a (usually) full-time writer - and on tough weeks something has to give.
Something, but not everything.
On tough weeks, consistency is my friend. Consistent effort, no matter how small, leads to teeny, tiny steps in the right direction. And every step counts. Every word, sentence, essay, and chapter written counts.
When it comes down to it, the only way to write is word by word, sentence by sentence. The only way to complete a book is chapter by chapter. The only way to build a body of work is article by article, essay by essay, book by book.
If you read the strapline before signing up to Change The World With Words, you’ll know that my aim here is to help you:
Find your voice, write with impact, and build a body of work you’re proud of.
I’m building my body of work right alongside you, and on weeks like this I’m doing it with (very) small amounts of consistent effort. This week I didn’t hit my 10,000 words, but I still stuck to my habits. I still wrote, and I still tried to write about what matters. My body of work grew, just a little, and I’m determined that on the tough weeks, that’s all I’m going to aim for.
Wherever you are in your life right now, take a moment to have a think about what level of effort is realistic for you right now. Maybe it’s 3,000 words a day. Maybe it’s 300. Maybe it’s seven articles a week. Maybe it’s one. Maybe it’s a book ready to go to editing by the end of the month. Or maybe the end of the year is more realistic.
The amount of effort isn’t as important as the consistency. So let’s aim for that, for now.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
Are You A Perfectionist When It Comes To Your Writing? by
My 3D Strategy To Monetize My Substack: Products, Services & Community by Veronica Llorca-Smith
The Fastest Way to Make Money with Your Newsletter in 2024 by
10 of the best things we can learn from Strunk and White on writing better non-fiction by
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith (free with Prime First Reads last month)
Listening to: The Way You Do Anything Is the Way You Do Everything (available on Audible)
Enjoying: The Write Like You Mean It newsletter from Kirsty Boden-Stuart (Kirsty and I are old friends/colleagues who are both on a similar mission now)
Not enjoying: Being spread too thin all week
This week’s Medium post
(Friend link, of course, so you can read for free - and this week it’s all about you: my Substack readers):
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Thanks for sharing. Brick by brick. It’s the only way. 🔵 Chris
Hey, Karen.
I'll never get tired of saying, "Karen, thanx again".
The value in your "shares" is massive for me.
I love this one on consistency.
I struggle a lot with it, but when I step up, it always changes my perspective on life.
I realise, I too, can add value.
As always,
Cheers.