“You are very consistent in your social media posts! They’re like clockwork every week!”
I hear this frequently. I share not to brag, but because the explanation I often offer that follows is a useful reminder for us all of the importance of slack and good positioning.
The biggest secret to my consistency is a large backlog of content waiting to be posted. I tend to have more than a quarter of a year’s worth of content already written, much of it scheduled, and all of it readily at hand to copy and paste for posts.
This allows me one of a writer’s (which I do NOT consider myself) greatest luxuries: the freedom to wait for inspiration to strike.
With a backlog of content already written, I don’t have to sit down every week and write. I have the luxury of waiting until I see something, hear something, or think of something that might be interesting, useful, or helpful before I need to write. And if the need to produce more content gets closer and my backlog begins to dwindle, I can proactively seek out inspiration and ideas.
Isn’t this true for so much else regarding success in life and business? When we leave some slack, we improve our positioning. When our positioning is good, we can capitalize on good opportunities and/or outlast difficult times. When every resource is committed right up to the line of no slack, we’re at the mercy of changing conditions or are unable to jump on once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Where do you need more slack, and what can you do to back off the line a little bit?
Remember, the secret is rarely consistency and intensity…it’s more often just leaving some slack.
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