The Consistency Factor
Feb 20, 2026
There have been several times in my life when the reason to sing lost its urgency.
The first time happened a little over 20 years ago when up until then I had been busy with performing opportunities.
✔️ back to back gigs
✔️ full calendar
✔️ clear sense of purpose
And then: a show I had been in closed with nothing on the horizon. 🫨
No auditions were in the calendar.
I had no rehearsals to prepare for.
There was no clear “next thing.”
It's that dead period we all dread as performers.
The period where you can start to spiral and flounder.
Without somewhere to be, something to prepare, or people expecting me… my consistency evaporated.
Singing became optional.
Optional became occasional.
Occasional became… “I’ll start again Monday.”
(We all know about that Monday. 😉)
What I didn’t realize at the time is that I hadn’t lost motivation.
I had lost structure.
And then this happened again later in my life as well when I stopped performing to focus on my family and didn't have a clear reason to be singing regularly.
It felt like, what's the point?
I forgot about how good it felt and how singing was a part of who I WAS.
That eventually caught up with me, but again, the entry point felt unclear.
James Clear talks in Atomic Habits about how we overestimate motivation and underestimate environment. (Stay with me.)
We think consistency is about discipline or willpower.
But the thing is....behavior follows cues. (The cues being the rehearsals, the performances, the lessons.)
When the cue disappears- the habit often disappears with it.
That first time around, I realized I could do something about that. I could create my own cues. I started collaborating with a few musician friends, just for fun.
Nothing glamorous.
Just regular rehearsals and fun, new songs.
A standing time to show up.
And something shifted. 😸
I had music to prepare and I had people expecting me.
I felt energized..... inspired.
I had a container.
I grew more in that season than in some of my busiest performing years.
Not because it was high-pressure.
Because it was intentional.
Consistency isn’t about white-knuckling your way into better habits.
It’s about creating a system that supports the identity you want to embody.
A singer without structure often becomes a singer who:
– waits to feel inspired
– warms up sporadically
– avoids it all together
– feels guilty about not practicing
– wonders why confidence isn’t sticking
Sound familiar?
Consistency doesn’t come from trying harder.
It comes from:
• reducing friction
• attaching habits to cues
• deciding who you are becoming
👉🏻 As James Clear says, every action is a vote for the type of person you believe you are.
When you show up regularly- even imperfectly- you reinforce:
“I am someone who takes my voice seriously.”
“I am someone who shows up.”
“I am a consistent singer.”
It’s a lot easier to be consistent when someone is expecting you.
Accountability can provide structure.
It means there’s a place to bring your voice where you can grow.
It means you don’t have to generate momentum alone.
That’s actually one of the reasons I created Monday Night Singing Group.
It’s not a performance class.
It’s not a pressure cooker.
It’s not a “let’s critique every vowel for 40 minutes” situation.
It’s a container.
A place to warm up together.
Sing.
Experiment.
Work through blocks.
Build consistency in a loving, supportive community.
When you know that Monday at 7pm is singing time…
something changes in how you move through the week.
You use your voice.
You show up for yourself.
And if you can’t make it live?
Replays are available- because real life is real life.
If you’ve been struggling with consistency, I want you to consider:
Is this really about discipline?
Or is it about not having a structure that supports the singer you want to be?
You don’t need more self-criticism.
You need a rhythm.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to build more consistency- without pressure- this might be it.
