Why you need to keep showing up
SHAKING THE TREE #151
If you want to:
build a memorable and influential body of work
become known as someone worth paying attention to
forge a relationship with a group of like-minded people
generate a list of subscribers and readers who want to hear what you have to say
All you need to do is to show up.
However, while that sounds easy, it’s not, because it involves doing the one thing a lot of people won’t do, which is working to make success a reality.
Showing up is about making yourself visible.
It’s about getting out there, taking a risk, and doing the work.
The work?
Nobody said anything about work?
Er, yeh: sorry about that. You’ve got to do the work.
The work is anything and everything that needs doing to generate results:
writing and publishing articles
shooting and editing videos
recording podcasts
creating slides and graphics
building websites
sending newsletters.
… and so on.
If that means learning a new skill, getting up early, or staying up late to write an article, edit a video, or record a podcast, do the work—learn the skill, take the time, make the effort.
By showing up consistently (and by doing the work to the best of your ability) you generate visibility, and with it, you create presence.
By creating presence you connect with others while shaping the narrative around you.
Presence is about being fully engaged with your message and your audience, both mentally and emotionally, all of which helps make your interactions more authentic and meaningful.
A strong presence draws attention and does most of the heavy lifting in terms of creating respect.
If you can do this while helping others feel seen and heard, all the better.
Ultimately, creating presence is about immersing yourself in the moment and engaging deeply with those around you, which fosters stronger relationships and more impactful experiences.
None of this stuff is difficult.
It simply requires effort, patience, discipline, and consistency.
I get that the idea of being visible on a regular basis can seem daunting, that inspiration can wane, and that life can get in the way.
However, in terms of creating and maintaining visibility, you need to be willing to put in the work required to create consistency.
Consistency builds trust and credibility.
Getting good at something requires putting in the effort needed to hone your craft.
The more consistency you generate, the more visibility you create.
The more visibility you generate, the more relevant you become.
And as your relevance increases, so does your share of mind.
Now of course, you never know which post might be the one that helps you take off.
A video that goes viral, a blog post that gains traction, or a social media post that resonates with the most relevant people at just the right time—sometimes, the difference between being seen or being overlooked is just one more piece of content.
Many creators have stories of how they were ready to give up, but then, one post turned everything around.
By consistently showing up, there’s no reason that one of those people can’t be you.
Each time you show up you increase your chances of having that breakthrough moment.
Every piece of content is a new lottery ticket, a new opportunity to reach a broader audience.
And showing up is also about building your confidence in yourself as a creator.
Content creation is a long game.
Because it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers—views, likes, followers—it’s also easy to lose sight of the fact that content creation relies on long term effort because real, lasting success is built over time through consistency and dedication, not through overnight miracles.
Again and again I’ve been tempted to quit, and I’ve wasted lots of time waiting for the perfect idea or moment of inspiration, only to learn that there’s no such thing as the perfect time. There is only now.
But the difference between those who create as a hobby and those who make it their craft is that the people in the latter group are the ones who showed up and who kept showing up, over and over and over again.
When your creative well runs dry (and it will), or when you feel like your efforts are going unnoticed (and you will), remember this: every time you show up, you’re doing a little bit more to expand your visibility.
You’re building a brand, a community, and perhaps most importantly, a belief in your ability to keep going.
So keep showing up, and one day, the magic will unfold.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … what got you here won’t get you there.