Why So Many Business Owners Struggle with Consistency

Many business owners say they want flexibility, that structure is limiting. What’s really limiting them is inconsistency, avoidance, and lack of structure. When I tell business owners that structure creates freedom, they wrinkle their noses in resistance. That resistance is why business owners struggle with consistency.

They don’t believe me, especially the new business owners. Most of them have left situations where they were kept in line by upper management, and now they want to roam.

I have seen many business owners rely on motivation, mood, and/or energy to decide what they want to do each day:

• When they start and end their work day

• What they do or don’t want to do

• How they feel about doing or not doing those things

• Allowing shiny object syndrome to distract them because they lack focus

It’s easy to fall into the trap of making decisions based on how you feel in the moment.

“I don’t feel like networking today.”

“I don’t feel like following up.”

“I don’t feel like marketing.”

The problem is that things you need to do to grow a successful business don’t always feel exciting. When we rely on mood to determine what gets done, consistency becomes nearly impossible. 

Flexibility is intentional. Inconsistency is reactive. They’re often confused with each other, but they are very different things. 

Without intention, it’s difficult to create any consistency at all.

Business owners usually land in my world when they want change and know they need it. What I’ve discovered is that many business owners say they want change, but they’re still resisting the consistency and accountability that change requires. They avoid the discomfort that networking, selling, and spending time weekly on business development can create.

The truth is that with all of the stress and pressure winging it can bring, it can be comfortable for some because it’s what they know, and they are getting by with the way things are. But for how long? The irony is that the business owners who enjoy the most flexibility are usually the ones who have the most structure in place.

When you implement an intentional plan, that stress and pressure dissipates. Things like those nagging feelings of, “did I forget something?”, scrambling over missed deadlines, not knowing your financials, and never leaving work at work disappear.

What’s so flexible about structure?

Structure allows you to choose your schedule. It keeps you on task with what you really need to do to move your business forward. And it holds time boundaries by the days and times you commit to do those specific things.

You get to choose, set, and prioritize all the elements of your work by creating a framework to get it done.

Intentional planning tells you what you have to do and when you’re going to do it. But the rest of the time is yours. You can leave your desk on Friday, and not think about it again until Monday. When you embrace yourself as a leader and the CEO of your business, you have more control, not less.

Structure creates freedom

When your framework is in place, you can move your days and hours around and plan for time off. You can make better decisions because you're no longer reacting to whatever feels most urgent in the moment. You can take your data and make changes and improvements to systems, processes, and offers.

Real flexibility isn’t waking up every morning and deciding whether you are going to work that day. Real flexibility comes from planning ahead. It comes from knowing what needs to happen and intentionally creating space for the things that matter to you. 

Here’s an example of what having flexibility can look like:

• Last Friday, I planned what I needed to do on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so I could take Thursday off to  pick my son up from college. 

• I work every day in the summer from 8-2 so that I can go to the beach any afternoon that I want.

• I figure out what I need to accomplish in late November and early December so I can easily take off the last two weeks of the year without worrying about what I should have gotten done but didn’t.
  

Once you build the structure, you do things regardless of whether you feel like it or not. Your mood stops dictating when things get done, and consistency kicks in.

I had a client who insisted on posting her social media when she was “inspired.” There were days when she was inspired, and posted great content. There were also weeks where she let her schedule get overrun by deadlines, client calls, and personal appointments. And there were weeks when she felt discouraged, so she posted nothing. She wasn’t lacking ideas or talent. She was relying on inspiration to determine whether or not she was going to do her marketing. Some weeks, marketing happened. Some weeks, it didn’t. The problem wasn’t the content. The problem was that she was relying on mood instead of a plan.

If you're realizing you've been relying on motivation, willpower, or good intentions to move your business forward, it may be time for a different approach.

CEO Blueprint helps business owners build the structure, systems, and routines that make consistency easier and growth more sustainable.

If you want a business that gives you more freedom, flexibility, and sustainability, the answer usually isn't less structure. It's better structure.