🧠Weekly Mind Sweep No. 162 | Mind Your Business | Consistency
February 2025
Week 161: Curated Conversation: Consistency
*Week 162 Mind Your Business: Consistency
Week 163: Manage Your Mind: Consistency
Week 164: What’s On My Mind: Consistency
Let’s sweep the brain…
🎬 Rather watch or listen instead of read? Now you can!
👉 Click here to Listen
In the MindSweep this week:
Curated Conversation with curated GIF’s & puns (for your entertainment).
Jamie’s Second Brain Corner: Links to references. Need a map? I’ve got you!
What’s I’m Reading - Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Collaborations with Terri Hamilton (Thursday) & Shannon Giordano and the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce
My face đź’ś and a link to schedule your free consultation.
Have you ever tried to start a fire in the rain while camping?
When I was ten, I had this grand vision of being the kind of kid who could survive in the wild. My hippie mother loved living off the land, being with nature, and cooking over an open flame.
[Future Jamie Spoiler Alert: my idea of adult camping is staying in a hotel]
I had watched her countless times—crouched over a tiny pile of sticks, lighting her Bic lighter until, like magic, flames appeared. [1]
I was ready to try it on my own.
10 year old me
Let’s sweep the brain…
🎬 Rather watch or listen instead of read? Now you can!
👉 Click here to Listen
Of course, at age ten, your brain doesn't consider that rain might impact your mission.
I had damp twigs, a matchbook I stole from her friend's pack of Marlborough Light cigarettes, and the unshakable confidence of a child who had seen something done but never done it themselves.
I stacked everything into what I thought looked like a proper fire, struck a match, and watched it hiss out instantly.
Tried again—same thing.
By the fifth match, frustration turned into desperation. I crouched there, flicking match after match, expecting some grand eruption of flames, but all I got was wet smoke and the realization that I had no idea what I was doing.
Then, my mom joined me. She saw the mess I was making—the scattered burnt-out matches, the sad little pile of damp sticks. And, instead of laughing, she knelt beside me and said:
"You're trying to start a bonfire before you've got an ember."
Then she showed me.
A single dry leaf. One match. Let it catch. Protect it. Feed it gently.
Within minutes, that one tiny ember turned into a small flame. The twigs caught, and the fire grew.
And I'll never forget what she said next:
"The trick isn't making fire. It's keeping it alive."
The Fire of Consistency in Business
Decades later, I've realized that this is exactly how consistency works for entrepreneurs trying to build a business on their own.
Most creative entrepreneurs think they need to come out swinging—posting daily, executing flawlessly, and running at full speed from the start. But that's like striking match after match without giving the fire a chance to catch.
It doesn't work.
Instead, you need to start small.
One spark.
Then, feed it gently.
The key is remembering–consistency isn't frequency.
You don't need to post daily.
You don't need to do everything right away.
You just need to create a rhythm—one that works for your energy, your creativity, and your brain.
And, to do that, you need a plan that is creative-entrepreneur sSMART.
You may have heard SMART defined as specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, but creative entrepreneurs' brains are a 'lil outside of the box and need this kind of sSMART goal.
Small: or it's too big, and we shut down.
Specific: so we're clear about what needs to be done.
Measurable: so we can visually see our progress.
Actionable: or you'll find us in a hoodie with Netflix and chill questioning the day of the week.
Realistic: or we tell ourselves stories about why we can't do it
Trackable: because we looooove checking boxes, trackable gives us a dopamine hit!
How to build your fire.
A sSMART Visibility Plan for Creative Entrepreneurs.
If you struggle with consistency, visibility, and execution in your business, try this:
1. Small – Start with a Spark
Example: Instead of aiming to write an entire blog post weekly, commit to a single social post or a 10-minute writing session.
Why? It's easier to keep a fire going than to start one from scratch every time.
Try this: What's the tiniest action you can take today? Post a thought. Share a win. Answer one question in a Facebook group. One spark is enough.
2. Specific – Define Your Firewood
Example: Instead of saying, "I need to be more visible," say, "I will post on LinkedIn twice a week about lessons learned in my business."
Why? A vague fire burns out fast. A structured fire burns steadily.
Try this: What specific type of content can you share regularly? Client stories? Behind-the-scenes? Quick tips? Pick one.
3. Actionable – Gather Your Tinder
Example: If you want to show up on Instagram, don't just say, "I'll post more." Instead, batch-create three posts ahead of time so you have material when motivation dips.
Why? Fire needs fuel. If content is ready, you won't have to scramble when energy is low.
Try this: What's one small step you can prep today? A saved draft? A list of content ideas?
4. Measurable – Track the Heat
Example: Instead of saying, "I want to get better at email marketing," track how many emails you send per month.
Why? Fires need monitoring. If you track what you're doing, you'll see what's working and where to adjust.
Try this: Pick one metric to track: Post engagement? Email opens? New conversations? Keep it simple.
5. Realistic – Build a Sustainable Fire
Example: If you know daily posting isn't sustainable, commit to once a week, month, or quarter (there is no wrong answer)—and allow that to be enough.
Why? Fires burn out if you overload them. Pace yourself so you don't burn out, too.
Try this: Set a schedule that honors your energy, not just what you think you should do.
6. Trackable – Tend to Your Flame
Example: Keep a simple checklist of what you actually do. This will help you spot patterns and stay accountable.
Why? Fires need tending. If you step away too long, they go out. Regular check-ins help you stay aware and make adjustments.
Try this: Track your actions for one month. See what feels good. Adjust as needed.
Keeping the Fire Alive
Building something you're proud of doesn't happen overnight.
It's not about perfect execution—it's about returning to the fire, no matter how many times it fades.
Even if you skip a day. Even if the ember dims.
Just come back. Nurture it. Let it breathe. Because fire doesn't happen in a flash. It happens in layers. And one day, without even realizing it, you'll look up and see the flames.
​​Ten-year-old me wanted a roaring fire instantly.
But what I really needed was someone to show me how to nurture a spark.
Someone to remind me that consistency isn’t about how often you show up—it’s about continuing to show up at all.
Now, as a business consultant, I do the same for creative entrepreneurs.
I don’t expect you to build a bonfire overnight.
I help you find your spark.
Then, I help you create a strategy that works for your brain.
To help you build a fire that won’t burn out.
What’s one small, actionable thing you can do today to stay visible in your business?
Need support? Let’s build this fire together. 🔥
My questions for you this week :
How do you define consistency in a way that works for you?
Which part of the sSMART framework do you struggle with the most?
Reply and share with me!
Are you a like-hearted entrepreneur ready for support? Let's connect.
Was this blog forwarded to you? Sign up!
Jamie’s Second Brain Corner:
[X] Follow Chickbook Creative on Substack!
[X] Did someone say MindSweep MAP?! Learn more about my Personalized MindSweep Mapping Process
MONDAY: 8 am - Curated Conversation - Zoom
Changing the world, one Monday Morning at a time. Learn more + Sign Up for a Monday morning reminder!
What I’m reading
Caste
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”
Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Isabel Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more.
Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day.
Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.
Find it where you browse
for books.
Collaborations!
Join us THIS Friday, February 7th, at the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce for this two-hour interactive business community experience.
We'll discuss ways to cultivate business through Sales, Marketing, and Communication methods that support relationship building, showing up authentically, and connecting deeper with colleagues and the people you serve.
9-11 am - Open discussion, community support, brainstorming ideas
Join me in meeting business owners in our community. You'll leave with new tools to help you make connections and build your business!
Free; Registration is required: REGISTRATION.
Mindful Connections
Connecting like-hearted entrepreneurs to build relationships, offering support, understanding their passions, and sharing their names in rooms of opportunity.
Join us Thursdays, 12-1 pm EST.
12:00 - Take 5—a guided meditation with Terri Hamilton of Positively Terri to ground your week with peace and focus.
12:05-1 pm Round-table Share
Who you are
The gifts you bring to the world
Who you serve
The answer to a Curated question to spark conversation.
If you found this on the web, sign up to join us!
In other news…
Feeling #FOMO about Curated Conversations? Join us!
