Standard business advice that’s awful for Autistics and AuDHDers, part 1:
“Just show up consistently.”
Why this is crap
No living thing in nature is absolutely consistent day in and day out. There are variable cycles of energy from day to day, across seasons and years and times of life. Expecting consistency from any living thing is not reasonable, and neurodivergent brains even more so beat to the tune of our own drums.
You know what consistency is good for? Factories, production lines, and bureaucracy. That’s where we get most of our messaging from, originally, that consistency is even a thing to be desired.
And I don’t mean from the factory workers, but the factory systems itself are built for consistency. Production lines can carry on unendingly, even when the workers can’t. Bureaucracy needs consistency to be able to check the same boxes and fill out the same forms and make the exact same decisions every time. Not the people in the system, or affected by the system, but the system itself. So these kinds of systems try to make people consistent, to fit the system, but we’re not.
In real life, there are going to be ebbs and flows. Not being absolutely consistent isn’t your failure. It’s not because you’re not good enough, or you haven’t tried hard enough, or haven’t managed to discipline yourself enough.
This is not all or nothing
But saying that absolute consistency isn’t a goal doesn’t mean that we’re throwing any kind of useful routine out the window. It’s not all or nothing. To the extent that an adaptable routine that supports you is useful, great! Enjoy it. But the consistency, or the routine, isn’t the goal. Whatever you’re doing that routine was supposed to be supporting you to do is the goal.
So get really clear on what the goal is, what is it that consistency is supposedly going to help you to do–whether it’s spreading your message, or connecting with people who might help you, or making sure you get certain admin tasks done when needed. And allow yourself some human breathing room to do those things without flagellating yourself when it’s not consistent.
If you want more business advice, made for Autistics and AuDHDers, I’m teaching a course that’ll cover how to make systems that actually work for your neurodivergent brain, as well as many other aspects on how to be self-employed as an Autistic or AuDHDer without burning yourself out. We start on May 2nd. If you want more info, here’s an overview, or go to: https://www.autismchrysalis.com/alchemy
Wishing you a neurowonderful day.