Hi, I’m Andy, and I am terribly inconsistent. I blog inconsistently. I read my Bible inconsistently. I pray with Amy inconsistently. I remember things inconsistently (or not at all). I call my parents inconsistently. Drink water inconsistently. Exercise inconsistently. Discipline my kids inconsistently. Balance the checkbook inconsistently. About the only thing I do consistently is feel bad about myself for being so inconsistent.
Sure, there are times I try to excuse it as just part of my personality. (ENFP if you’re playing along on Meyers-Briggs.) And I suppose part of that is true. I like spontaneity and change and all that. I switch from iCal to Entourage and back every couple of weeks. I like to move my office around. I drive a different way to work every day. I get a different kind of soda pretty much every time. Amy is all Dr Pepper all the time – that would drive me crazy.
But the truth is, there are things I want to do consistently and I just don’t. And I miss out on so much because of it. So I need two things, if you have a minute. #1 – someone please tell me I’m not alone. What do you struggle to do consistently that you actually, truly do want to do. And #2 – give me some tips. What have you found that has helped you get at least some consistency that maybe I could learn from? Maybe we can all learn a little bit from each other.
9 Comments
January 26, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I can relate. I think my thing is that I’m inconsistent with the things that are important — like those you listed: family, God, health — and then consistent with the things that don’t matter — like my Diet Coke every morning or making sure I watch Lost each Wednesday!
Of course, I’m also consistent in reading blogs! That’s how I got here!!!
We’re in sad shape, I’m afraid…
January 26, 2009 at 6:31 pm
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January 26, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Hi, Andy! Long time no see. It’s hard to discipline Brandon consistently. Especially when there is crying, door-slamming, and eye-rolling, and it seems it would be easier to let it go. What helps me is seeing the incredible results when I AM consistent. The struggles are much fewer and farther between, and I like the people both Brandon and I are becoming.
I am a bit of a free spirit, which makes consistency hard in most areas. But alas, I try to find that elusive balance.
January 26, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I believe that we maybe able to bring it back to something in the water in Pryor. I feel your pain, inconsistently of course.
January 26, 2009 at 10:13 pm
You are consistently good, consistently loyal, consistently loving and consistently fun. I love depending on those things in you.
I also love your spontaneity. Imagine how boring our life would be if you didn’t make me change things up every now and then. You get me to do wacky stuff, like eat pizza on Friday night instead of Saturday. Crazy!
(And by the way…you are the most consistent parent ever.)
My only tip: please don’t change, babe.
January 28, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Andy, I know your pain. Only, I think surely I must be more inconsistent than you — because for years I have thought I was the most inconsistent person on the planet…. thanks for your writings! No good ideas for you — sorry!
January 28, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Wendy would laugh at your examples because I could have written that post. Different ways to drive to the same place, my favorite drink is something I didn’t have last time, I move my classroom around more than is practical, I even teach my lessons differently. I think I am addicted to variety.
One thing that has helped me with the Bible reading is to…voila…add variety. Sometimes I read the same book every day (albeit a small one) to get a better feel for the book; sometimes I do the “one chapter from each genre” thing; other times I…well, you get the idea. Even when I am in one particular mode…I don’t fret about not feeling like reading a History that day…variety. Hope this helps. thanks for the post.
January 28, 2009 at 10:47 pm
BTW. Treasure Amy’s post.
Precious.
March 22, 2009 at 8:24 pm
good stuff here Andy. Consistently humble, you are.
I don’t know why I wrote that like yoda. sorry.