"52 Weeks, 52 Posts: What I learnt posting weekly on LinkedIn for a year"

Happy Monday! Ready for my second cup of coffee this morning - join me? ☕️ 

So recently, I crossed over the 1 year milestone of weekly posting on Linkedin. Reflecting back on it, this was always the main goal from day 1: Consistency.

Not likes, not followers, not impressions.

Just me proving (to myself), that I could show up and deliver the goods.

And in the process, conduct experiments, learn and build the content library for my business.

1 week at a time…

What I learned about Consistency

So, you want to build something…

A habit, a skill, a side project, a business.

But, you find yourself starting and stopping...

You're stuck in a loop of good intentions but missed targets.

You know that consistent effort is the key to mastery, but you struggle to stay on

track.

I get it.

We all do.

Life happens...

There are so many obstacles.

Work pressures, family needs, and life’s curveballs.

You start a project full of enthusiasm, but a few weeks later, you miss a day.

Then another. Before you know it, your momentum is gone, replaced by frustration.

Sound familiar?

I've been there too, many times.

In fact, one of my biggest flaws is shiny-object syndrome.

My wife says I often start projects but don’t see them fully to the end. I say 80/20 rule 🤭 

So, how did I post every week without fail for an entire year?

Each post had 5-10 hours of research, writing, graphic editing etc in it per week.

And yet, rain or sun, holiday or weekday, exhausted or energetic, that post was published.

How??

Now, I'm not saying this to brag.

Many people asked me how I sustained it.

So I’m sharing this because I want to show you that it’s possible.

Even with an extremely demanding job and family life, and unpredictable energy levels.

My secret? - I committed to consistency, more than anything else.

I knew I would get better over time - things would get easier.

I just needed to stay the course.

But I needed help.

So,

I enlisted others.

How did they help me stay on track?

Well, before the how, let’s dive into the why for some insight.

Pause. Take a sip of your coffee…

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Why Consistency Matters

Right, where were we?

Ah yes - why does consistency bring success?

Answer: It’s how you add value over time, and win trust.

It’s how you create the kind of results that people admire.

How you build your reputation as a top performer.

And at work, reputation is everything..

Now think about it:

Consistent people are the ones we look up to. We admire them for their achievements.

They’re the ones we trust with big projects and turn to for advice.

Not because they’re the most brilliant.

But because they show up

Again and again.

Like clockwork.

They just deliver the goods, no matter what.

They have momentum.

Consistency has brought success in other parts of my life:

MBA Degree - I had so much self-doubt prior to undertaking it.

Top student in high-school (Dux Award) - I was far from the smartest guy in school.

National colors in sport - Running joke is I’m not even the best pool player in my family:

Now, don't get me wrong.

I’m a flawed human, like everyone else.

I'm not consistent at everything - .Just ask my wife…

Coffee cups fail to get themselves into the sink, let alone the dishwasher.

Clothes sit on top of the laundry basket instead of inside (technically, this is consistency?)

Consistency doesn’t mean perfection.

It means making a choice to show up more often than not, even when it’s hard.

How I Stayed Consistent

Ok, let’s dive into how I applied consistency, in practical terms. These are the 5 principles that kept me on track for a whole year, without fail.

1. Start with Small, Clear and Achievable Goals
Small, easily doable actions lead to big wins. Define simple, but SMART goals.

My small actions - only 1 post per week for a whole year. The highest quality, original post I can deliver within the time and energy I have available that week.No getting carried away with any additional commitments that could break my streak. Stay the small course for an extended period of time - show up and deliver the goods. Only after 1 year of consistency, would I shift gears.

2. Create a Simple Routine

Routines are the backbone of consistency. Forget about the outcome. Build a routine or system for the week that supports putting in tiny effort towards your goal. Like any reliable system, build in some redundancy - extra time blocks.

My routine - One or 2 hours writing and researching during 2-3 weekday nights after the family is in bed. Sunday early morning and late evening to wrap up and schedule for Monday morning 830am. By having multiple time blocks in excess of the required 5 hours, I could deal with curveballs that came up.

3. Track Your Progress to stay motivated, but ignore vanity metrics
Building a streak of consistency helps you stay motivated and build momentum. Choose 1 simple metric for consistency and 1 for incremental progress.

My metrics - My goal for 2024 was to build routines and systems for consistency and grow my content library. The metrics were simple: 1. Did I post on Monday at 830am or not? 2. Was the post contributing to the content library I was building for my business? I did not track “vanity” metrics such as likes, reposts and impressions as measures of progress. Many of those in my tribe have asked why I am not pushing growth, but Scaling my audience is only a goal for 2025 (Topic for another day).

4. Build Accountability and Support
Having external accountability strengthens your commitment to consistency. Share your goals with someone important that you wouldn’t want to let down.

My external accountability and support - I roped in my good friend Strini to save me from myself. The ask - check in twice a week on how the weekly post was going. I also publicly committed to posting weekly on LinkedIn itself. I didn’t want to let him down or my network down. For support, I shared my goals and thinking with my wife and we co-created the routine in step #2 that works for the family.

Final Thoughts

Consistency is like a muscle.

The more you work it, the stronger it becomes.

It’s not always glamorous, and it’s definitely not easy.

But the rewards compound over time.

Maintain that muscle definition.

Show up - again and again.

Build you own recipe:

GOAL - Pick one big goal.

COMMIT - Commit to it with a trusted “accountability partner”.

ROUTINE - What’s the bare min weekly effort needed? Block out the time.

TRACK - Show up. Again and again. Track your progress.

ENJOY - Find enjoyment.

And then just see what happens. I can tell you from experience—it works.

Hope you enjoyed today’s letter - till next week! ☕️ 

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