Consistency Is a Lie – Here’s How Growth Really Looks Like

This is a guest post by Benjamin Antoine from The 2-Hour Creator Stack

A week ago I stopped posting on X.

I started on the platform at the same time as I started on substack.

I find X to be a massive energy drain.

For whatever reason I landed right in the middle of “money and growth X”.

My feed was constantly flooded with “growth” posts..

You’ve probably seen a version of the posts I’m talking about.

• Write 5 tweets a day

• Reply to 50 other large accounts a day

• Send 30 DM’s a day and your growth will explode.

Oh and then there’s the “just show up” and “consistency wins” posts.

It’s that simple.

But believe me, it’s not that easy.

To be honest, I fell for it. I tried this for a few months.

But I was thinking about it all wrong.

I started with ambitions of explosive growth. When these were not met I settled for linear growth. When that was also not met I lost motivation.

To keep doing the same thing over and over again with no sign of progress is the definition of insanity.

That’s why I’ve taken a break.

There’s a lot of talk about linear and exponential growth but no one seems to talk about cyclical growth.
This is baffling to me.

From running a YT channel and two Substack newsletters there’s one thing I can say with 100% certainty.

When it comes to creativity, growth is cyclical. Plain and simple.

The truth is that there will be good days and bad days. Good weeks and bad weeks. Good months and bad months. Maybe, if you stick at it long enough, even good years and bad years.

Growth is not constant (nor consistent)

Sometimes it comes in seemingly exponential hockey stick curves and sometimes it feels like your “thing” is dead and everyone’s forgotten about you.

There are videos that have pulled in thousands of subscribers and there are videos that have lost me dozens of subscribers.

Just like there are notes that have pulled in dozens of subscribers for me on Substack and notes that have failed to get more than 2 likes.

Progress, just like energy, is cyclical. Not linear.

You can rail against this all you like but it’s a fundamental law of nature.

• The business cycle.

• The seasons.

• Night and day.

• The chorus of songs.

• The ebb and flow of the tide

• The stories we tell ourselves.

• All of these are cyclical.

There are periods of sleep, rest, energy intensity, growth and stagnation.

Trying to cling on to periods of growth is like expecting the sun to never set. It’s ridiculous (unless you live in Scandinavia).

This mindset of continual growth is robbing you of actual progress.

Linear growth is a fantasy

It might look like a tree is constantly growing up towards the sky. But this is an illusion.

Trees experience a growth spurt in spring which slows down in Autumn and completely stops in winter.

If you cut a tree open you can literally see its life cycles in the concentric rings of its trunk.

There are good years and there are bad years.

It’s a key measure of how archaeologists and environmentalists can track previous climate changes - through the process of dendrochronology.

Similarly, on an individual level, you experience your own personal growth spurts and periods of stagnation.

Sometimes you just hit a wall. To fight against this. To try and push through will just lead to a lot of frustration and potential burnout.

Instead, you need to change your perspective.

I came to the realisation that I was not enjoying X. I feel like however much I tried to connect with people I was met with quotes and aphorisms.

Just a simple question like How are you finding X? Would be met with “great! Here’s my growth blueprint. Get it for free for a limited time.”

It often felt like banging my head against a brick wall.

Trying to push through a wall comes at the expense of your well-being.

Ironically what is actually needed is to take a few steps back so that you can find another way.

Maybe you can walk around the wall or jump over it.

Trying to break through it is rarely a good idea

It's the age-old adage of David and Goliath or brawn vs. brains or the pen vs. the sword.

When it comes to creativity you can’t force it.

When I first started my YT channel in 2022 I still had this mindset of brute forcing it. I started with the goal of publishing 2 videos a week which was unsustainable.

I conducted hundreds of experiments.

I tried to pivot several times and finally found that less output( 1-2 Videos a month instead of 2 a week) was more effective for my growth but also for my own well-being and creativity.

In other words, I found that less is more.

What people don’t seem to realise is that during periods of relaxation or non-activity, the brain engages in a process called "synaptic pruning," where it organises and strengthens neural connections.

This process is crucial for creativity, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. This is why your best ideas come on a walk, or in the shower, or while cooking dinner or just from staring into the distance.

In contrast, constant engagement in high-stress, high-stakes tasks leads to cognitive overload and diminished productivity over time.

I understand that this message isn’t sexy. You might feel guilty for taking a break.

But I’m here to tell you what works, not what sounds good.

If you’ve hit a wall the best thing you can do is stop forcing it.

Go for a walk.
Go to the sauna.
Go for a swim.
Go to the gym.

Light physical activity is the best way to aid synaptic pruning and create new neural pathways.

The next time you feel stuck don’t keep on keeping on.
Stop and take the time to find a new perspective.
You’re stuck for a reason.

It’s the body’s way of telling you to rest before the next growth cycle begins.

If you enjoyed Benjamin Antoine's philosophy you can read more at The 2-Hour Creator Stack