Authenticity vs. Consistency
Authenticity is a trap.
We regularly praise people for being authentic. We admire them for just being themselves, and succeeding because of (or in spite of) it. We applaud them for not following the crowd, for not becoming a sheep, for following their heart.
We've decided that music artists who eschew pop culture's rules and do their own thing are being authentic. Freddie Mercury and Elton John. Billie Eilish and Lourde. Nirvana and Green Day.
Authenticity is genuine, the real deal, being true to yourself no matter what.
Or maybe authenticity is a lie.
We don’t really want authenticity from people, we want consistency. We’d be deeply concerned if Elton John showed up to an event one day in a sensible pair of spectacles. If Ellen started taking cues from Jerry Springer on her daily talk show, her fans would revolt.
Look what happened to Colin Kapernick.
Yesterday, I went out in public in sweat pants, flat hair, and no make up. I was being authentic.... my true self in that moment. Yet if I’d run into a colleague, they’d be shocked to find me not being ‘myself.’
Is it possible that striving for authenticity is a recipe for failure, not success?
What if authenticity is a myth? Authenticity relies on a human being (including you) to tell you what you're doing is "real.”
Instead of striving for authenticity, strive to be consistent. Success comes at the hands of consistency. Body builders know it, musicians know it, writers know it.
Here are 3 ways to practice (authentic) consistency:
1. FIND YOUR THING, AND DO IT EVERY DAY.
We all have a gift for the world. A talent. Something we are better at than most people.
You can be talented in the art of listening. You may have a knack for public speaking. You’re great at decluttering or organizing. Plant care is an art. Seeing a chink in the chain and working to fix it is an art. So is changing the oil in your car, knowing how to fold origami, or having beautiful handwriting. What is your gift to the world?
If you don't know what your talent is, ask someone. Ask several people who know you well. They will tell you, probably very quickly and without hesitation, what you're good at.
Whatever your thing is, do it every day. Do it with dedication, focus, and care.
2. DON’T READ THE COMMENTS
Someone will always have feedback for you. Whether that feedback is good or bad, ignore it.
When you receive lots of positive feedback, it's easy to rest on your laurels. When you receive negative feedback, you end up in a tailspin of "I'm not good enough." Both are halting to your craft.
No matter what someone else tells you about your art, your talent, your craft, ignore it. And…
3. KEEP GOING
Remember that life hack where if you do something for 28 days it supposedly becomes a habit? The truth is that's not even close to long enough.
If you've done it for 28 days, you're probably only about .01% of the way in.
Show up every day. Even when it's hard, even when you don't feel like it, and especially when you wake up feeling like a whiny toddler and "don't wanna."
Find your thing.
Do it every day.
Don't read the comments.
Keep going.
The World’s Best
Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve made these cookies at least half a dozen times since being given the recipe. Each time I make them, someone says “Holy cow, this is the best cookie I’ve ever had. You MADE these??”
The hardest part is waiting until tomorrow to bake them, but trust me, it’s the secret sauce.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour (241 grams)
1 ⅔ cups bread flour (241 grams)
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 ¼ cups unsalted butter (284 grams)
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar (284 grams)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (227 grams)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate chips, disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (680 grams)
Sea salt
PREPARATION
STEP 1
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
STEP 2
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
STEP 3
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
STEP 4
Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.