Have you ever started something new feeling super excited? A new health plan, a side business, or a project only to lose momentum and motivation after just a few weeks.
We live in an instant gratification world. We expect instant results for very little effort. When things don’t happen fast enough, we give up, stop trying, and tell ourselves, “Maybe it wasn’t meant to be” or “I’m just not good enough.”
We humans sometimes have a hard time sticking with something long term.
We have frankly gotten too comfortable being comfortable. We look for convenience and quick fixes.
Did you know that our own brain tries to keep us in the comfort zone to “protect” us from the uncomfortable and unknown?
But if you want to stand a chance at achieving anything from losing weight to learning a new language to starting your own business, you have to stick with it and be consistent, no matter what.
You’re not alone.
Consistency Beats Motivation Every Time
Motivation is great and may be the very thing that got you started, but motivation is fleeting. It comes and goes with your energy levels, your sleep, or even the people you interact with.
Consistency on the other hand is steady. It doesn’t rely on emotion or excitement. It is the quiet decision to show up, no matter what.
Have you ever heard of a world athlete that only trained when he felt like it? Probably not.
Would you just brush your teeth for one week and call it quits?
You do it every day because that is part of your routine. A learned behavior that you don’t even question. Achieving your goals is no different.
You can’t expect to gain muscle by throwing around a couple of two-pound dumbbells once in a while or work on building a business only when the mood strikes.
It takes real commitment and consistency to achieve real results. It comes from showing up consistently, doing the small things over and over again, until they become second nature.
Even if something feels impossible at the moment, if you stick with it religiously and consistently you can achieve pretty much anything.
The Morning Walk That Changed My Routine
When I first started working from home during the pandemic, I told myself I’d finally have time to take morning walks.
But living in South Florida, the heat and humidity gave me every excuse not to. But I convinced myself by starting small.
I told myself, just walk to the end of the street, then you can walk back. Or just walk for 5 minutes, then you’re done. That’s it.
And on some days, I did just that. But often, since I was already in sneakers and walking, I often kept walking a little further every day. One more minute at a time. Then I did it again the next day and the next, with some bargaining with myself. The hardest part is always getting started.
It wasn’t easy at first and I had to push myself, but the more I stuck with it, the easier it became.
Over time, that morning walk became part of my identity. I became someone who walks every morning before work.
Now, even on days I’m tired or tempted to skip, I still go. It’s almost like a force that propels me to get out there. It’s no longer a decision. It’s a built-in habit. A habit I now really enjoy, and it sets the tone for the rest of my entire day.
That’s what consistency does. It takes something you want to do and turns it into something you just do, and you become that person who keeps promises to her or himself.
It starts with building a plan and sticking to it.
How to Build Consistency (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)
Consistency isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing something regularly.
Start small. Smaller than you think you should.
Grab a notebook and answer these questions:
- What is your goal?
- What outcome do you want?
- Why do you want it?
- What do you need to do to get there?
Take your time when answering these questions and be specific.
If your goal is to become a writer, the answer to # 4 might be:
“I need to write for at least 30 minutes every morning before work.”
If 30 minutes feels too daunting to commit to every day, then make it 15 minutes or even 5 minutes. It is better to start small and stay consistent than to start big and quit.
Even if you’re feeling uninspired, unmotivated, or tired, you sit down and write anyway. It doesn’t matter if you can’t think of the right words or nothing seems to come together, you write anyway, no matter how bad you think it is. You are building your writing muscle and discipline. And it is in editing that a story comes together anyway. Any writer will tell you that.
Ever heard of a writer that doesn’t write? No one ever became a writer talking about and thinking about writing. They did it by writing, consistently. Every day.
You become by doing.
The Science Behind Sticking With It
Psychologists say it takes around 66 days on average to form a new habit. That means your first two months are critical.
In the beginning, progress will feel slow. You’ll question if it’s working. But remember, habits grow quietly when no one is watching. Stay consistent and trust the process.
Every time you repeat an action, walking, journaling, writing, exercising, you’re strengthening the neural pathways in your brain. You are providing evidence to your brain of who you are.
Before you know it, you have established a habit, a new routine, and that’s when consistency turns into identity.
You are no longer someone who wants to be a writer. You are a writer.
You are no longer someone who wants to be healthy. You are a healthy person.
Consistency is Like Compound Interest
If you have a 401k or IRA account, you should be familiar with compound interest. In the beginning you put in whatever you can afford at the time, but you keep doing it, every month. At first, it will seem like you are getting nowhere fast, but then all of a sudden, you start to see some progress. As years pass your account gets bigger and bigger, if you have been consistent about saving and have contributed enough.
Consistency with sticking with a goal you want to achieve works the same way. In the beginning you feel like you’re not making any progress at all, but if you stick with it and show up every day, you will reach that goal. As time passes you will no longer be a beginner, you will become an expert.
Final Thoughts: Make Consistency Your Superpower
Consistency is the bridge between goals and results. It’s the difference between “I wish” and “I did.”
Start small. Pick one thing today and do it again tomorrow.
Keep showing up, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s where the magic happens, and once you discover how powerful consistency is, you want to do it over and over again (no pun intended).
Best part, you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be consistent.
Challenge: What’s one habit or action you’ll commit to this week? Write it down, post it somewhere visible, or share it in the comments.
Note: If you want to explore the science behind habits some more, I suggest checking out the book “Automic Habits” by James Clear. It is an excellent book and might motivate you to get started.