The Truth No One Tells You About Posting Consistently

Being Consistent On Substack Without Progress Feels Pointless — Until It Doesn’t.

You thought consistency would bring growth… Instead, it brought silence.

You’ve been showing up. Writing. Posting week after week. Doing the thing everyone says to do: stay consistent.

And still…

Your stats don’t seem to budge.

You’re questioning if any of it’s working.

You wonder how much longer you’re supposed to “be consistent” before it pays off.

You might contemplate how much longer you can keep this up. And as motivation wanes, you start to consider if this was the right decision.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Here’s the thing,

It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong.

It’s that no one warned you about how “consistency” feels and how disorienting it can be when it doesn’t deliver on the timeline we secretly expected it to.

Let me shed a bit of my experience with consistency.

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The Expectations That Kill Consistency

It took me 10 months of posting consistently on Substack before I saw any real growth.

Ten months of writing into the void.

Ten months of watching my stats stay in the same place.

I thought about quitting every other week.

Turns out, I wasn’t alone.

I’ve read hundreds of comments from people who felt invisible.

They were showing up. Posting consistently. Doing all the right things.

And still, nothing. No engagement. No traction. Just silence.

But I heard countless stories like this:

One day, out of nowhere, someone sends a message saying, “Your writing changed my life.”

And suddenly, it’s all worth it.

That’s the thing about consistency…

We create invisible expectations about how fast it should happen.

But consistency with expectation?

That’s the kind that breeds resentment.

The real problem isn’t consistency itself…

It’s the expectation that it should look a certain way on our timeline.

The solution? Trust and patience.

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Proof That Consistency Pays Off (Eventually)

You’re not the only one who’s felt invisible.

Let me show you a few examples.

Vincent van Gogh:

He created over 2,000 pieces of art, yet he only sold one painting in his lifetime. He died broke and unknown. Today, he’s one of the most celebrated artists in history.

Emily Dickinson:

She wrote nearly 1,800 poems, but barely published a dozen before her death. Most of her work was found in a drawer. Now, she’s considered one of America’s greatest poets.

Colonel Sanders:

He was rejected by over a thousand restaurants before someone finally said yes to his fried chicken recipe. He didn’t launch KFC until he was 65.

Bryan Cranston:

He spent decades in the background. Commercials. Minor roles. Voiceover gigs. Then, at 50, he landed the role of Walter White in Breaking Bad and became a household name.

But they all kept going.

When no one was watching. Even when it felt like nothing was working.

Because that’s the truth no one talks about… None of this happens without consistency.

And the problem? It’s not consistency. It’s the expectations that ride on top of it.

Let that sink in.

Many of the people we celebrate today shared the same challenge: they had to keep going long before anyone cared.

And so do we.

If you’re searching for examples of others on Substack? I encourage you to scroll through the comments here.

Dozens of beautiful stories of people who realized silent readers were there all along.

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What To Do When You’re Posting Consistently But Not Growing

Intentional consistency beats blind repetition.

While it’s easy to say “just keep going,” I want to give you something tangible to hold on to throughout your journey.

Philosophically, I don’t believe anything is achieved without consistency.

Detaching from unspoken expectations and arbitrary goals is incredibly important when redefining success and doing things differently.

But, it’s easier said than done.

So, let’s start here.

The Daily(ish) Rituals That Build A Business

Showing up daily(ish) is where consistency begins.

But it’s easy to mistake showing up for “just posting every day.”

The real challenge?

Trusting that every small action—even when it feels invisible—builds something bigger.

I’ve learned that having a system helps me stay on track.

Weekly: Review your Notes. Look at what resonated, what fell flat. You can use my Content Calendar if you’d like.

Quarterly: Audit your long-form posts. What felt authentic? Where did you force it? What are the common threads? What performed?

This isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about giving your consistency a place to compound.

How to Mix Metrics and Gut Feeling

Stats are helpful—no doubt about that.

They show trends, highlight what’s working, and reveal blind spots.

But they’re only half the story.

Blindly chasing numbers can turn your work into a performance, draining your energy chasing viral content and disconnecting you from your voice.

Here’s how I balance the two:

Step 1: Look for Patterns.

Weekly, I review my top-performing Notes and posts. I look for topics, formats, or quotes that seem to click with people.

Step 2: Ask “Why Did This Work?”

I ask myself: Did this resonate because it felt authentic? Or was it just a catchy or controversial headline? Did it provide the result I actually wanted? Did it attract the right people?

Step 3: Trust the Gut Check.

Before chasing that trend, I pause. Would I want to write more of this—even if no one else noticed? If yes, I build on it. If not, I let it go. If it pops up 1-2 more times I will pay closer attention.

This way, I stay true to my voice and mission while letting data guide me, without becoming a slave to the numbers.

The Wins You Can’t See in the Dashboard

The Substack dashboard tracks likes, shares, and open rates.

But it can’t capture the moment you finished a post you didn’t think you could.

It won’t show you the relief in a reader’s message that your words helped them feel seen.

Progress isn’t always measured in big jumps—it’s built in the small wins that stack up over time.

That’s why I recommend tracking every win, no matter how small.

Every comment, every thank-you email, every time you show up even when you didn’t feel like it—write it down.

These wins build proof that your work matters.

Because the dashboard can’t show you everything.

But you can.

Read more on this topic here.

Why Progress Isn’t Always Linear

Growth rarely looks like a straight line.

It’s messy and really freaking unpredictable.

But every time I expected it to happen on my timeline, I ended up disappointed.

That’s why I stopped focusing on the outcome and started focusing on what I could control—my output.

Instead of asking, “When will this pay off?” I ask, “How can I show up today?”

Try reframing your goals:

• From “Gain 100 subscribers this month” to “Publish one piece I’m proud of each week.”

• From “Go viral” to “Connect with one new reader.”

Because progress isn’t always visible.

But if you keep showing up, it’s always happening.

You Matter Too

When we’re focused on growth, it’s easy to forget the person behind the screen: you.

The stress. The doubt. The days when you’d rather quit.

Every part of your environment—inside and out—affects how you show up.

That’s why self-care isn’t just a luxury. It’s part of staying in the game long enough to see results.

I’ve found that simple, daily(ish) rituals—like a morning walk, a quick journal entry, or an afternoon break—help me stay creative and grounded.

Progress doesn’t come from pushing yourself to the edge.

It comes from taking care of the person who’s showing up every day.

Because your consistency depends on you.

You can listen to a podcast where I break down my self-care routine here.

Radical Incrementalism

Patience isn’t passive. Consistency doesn’t mean we’re idly posting, oblivious to what’s going on. It’s about being intentional with our efforts.

Oliver Burkeman, in Four Thousand Weeks, introduces the concept of radical incrementalism: embracing progress that’s both steady and strategic. Instead of trying to overhaul everything overnight, we make small, deliberate adjustments that compound over time.

Think of it like this: more, better, different.

While popularized recently by Alex Hormozi, this philosophy dates back to the 1950s. It’s a time-tested approach to growth, and it fits beautifully with our strategy on Substack.

• More: Increase the frequency of your output. Think daily Notes instead of 3–5 per week. Show up consistently to build trust and momentum.

• Better: Refine what’s already working. Double down on your best posts. Improve your headlines. Enhance your calls to action.

• Different: Mix up your approach: challenge assumptions, test short vs. long notes, share quotes, go live, or sprinkle in educational insights. Get curious about what might work best.

When you combine radical incrementalism with this “more, better, different” mindset, you work smarter, not harder.

Celebrating The Wins

Research shows that celebrating small wins helps us stick with it.

Recognizing those little milestones triggers dopamine, reinforcing positive habits and boosting mood (Grand Rising Behavioral Health, 2023).

And it’s not just about feeling good—celebrating wins actually builds your ability to delay gratification, a key skill for long-term success. The Stanford marshmallow experiment found that kids who could delay gratification tended to achieve higher academic and professional outcomes later in life (Mischel et al., 1972).

Gratitude plays a role too. Practicing gratitude strengthens patience and self-control, helping you stay committed even when results take time (DeSteno et al., 2014).

For me, that’s why I keep a Wins Journal in Notion. Each week, I jot down things like:

• Someone sharing or restacking a post.

• Going live for the first.

• Being asked to do an interview.

• Starting on a new project.

• Getting kind DMs.

Remember: it doesn’t matter how big or small the win is—every one of them counts.

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Breaking Up With Hustle Culture

You don’t have to follow the traditional path.

You don’t have to measure your success by someone else’s timeline.

This is a reminder I keep on my phone and read every morning.

When we choose to leave hustle culture behind, to do less—not more—we also have to leave behind the traditional expectations of success.

Otherwise, we’re just comparing ourselves to the very thing we’re trying to escape.

Be honest with what you’re trying to build.

Growth without burnout takes time.

It took me 10 months before things clicked on Substack.

I know people who’ve hit 35,000 subscribers in 6 months. That’s not me. And if you’re here, it might not be you either.

And that’s okay.

Take a minute to let go of the expectation that it should happen overnight.

Scream. Punch a pillow. Let it go.

The truth is, you expected growth to come quickly. That’s normal. But you don’t control how fast it happens.

Hustle culture wants you to believe otherwise.

But the real secret?

It’s patience.

Growth is beyond our control.

But honesty—about your efforts, your goals, and your expectations—that’s yours to hold.

Be honest with what you’re trying to create.

If you want sustainable growth, it won’t happen overnight.

And that’s okay.

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The Truth That No One Talks About

So, if you’ve been showing up but feel like nothing’s happening?

Here’s what I wish someone told me earlier.

Consistency isn’t about grinding yourself into the ground. It’s not about blindly checking boxes. It’s about giving your work the time and space to compound.

Every post is an investment in the future.

Every Note, every long-form piece, every thoughtful comment… They compound in ways you can’t always see in the moment.

That’s the truth no one tells you.

Growth doesn’t always come on your timeline.

But it does come when you trust the process and keep showing up.

Even when it feels like no one’s watching.

That’s what I’ve learned.

And it’s what I hope helps you, too.

Landon

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P.S. If you’d like a simple way to organize your ideas, test topics, and track performance, I made a free Substack Content Calendar you can use. Grab it here.

P.P.S. If you found this helpful, would you mind restacking it? It’s one small click that helps more people find this and motivates me to keep sharing real, practical insights.