Motivation Is Weather. Consistency Is Climate.
the real difference isn’t talent, it’s who keeps showing up
For nearly 35 years, I’ve been showing up to the gym.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been showing up to the page.
Two separate pursuits, or so I thought. One builds muscle. The other builds meaning. It turns out they’re versions of the same thing:
Making something from nothing, one imperfect rep at a time.
The Myth People Believe
Because I’ve been lifting for decades, people assume I must love it. That I practically leap out of bed, excited to feel the iron in my hands.
Nope.
I have sat in my car more times than I can count, looking at the gym door, thinking:
“I could just stay right here. Maybe nap in the car.”
Same thing happens at my desk. The blank page can feel as heavy as any barbell.
And yet: I go in. I sit down. I lift. I write.
Not because I’m always motivated.
Because I’ve trained myself to keep showing up anyway.
Both practices force me to look forward:
When I load the bar, I’m meeting the version of me who can handle more weight next month.
When I write, I’m reaching for articles and books that don’t exist yet…but could.
Showing up like this takes a kind of faith:
Believing in a version of myself I haven’t met yet.
Creativity Is Physical. Discipline Is Creative.
Writing has its own physical grind: pushing through mental resistance feels v e ry reminiscent of that final tough set.
Lifting demands creativity: adjusting workouts when the highschool boys have swarmed the gym, troubleshooting plateaus, finding new ways through.
Every day asks me the same question:
What percentage do you have today? Whatever that is—> give it all.
Some Days, My 10% Is Everything
Some days, it flows. The words come easily. The weights feel light.
Other days? I’m dragging. I mumble mantras under my breath. I look around the weight room and wonder who turned up the gravity!? I record pep talks for myself and listen to them on repeat (yep, I literally cheer myself on in my own voice).
The difference between me now and me younger isn’t that I don’t struggle.
It’s that now—>I still do it anyway.
Because I’ve learned something that’s changed my life:
10% given fully becomes 100% for that day. Full stop.
It’s not failure it’s *feedback*
Both lifting and writing consistently expose our weak spots:
A lagging left lat
A messy draft that, to our surprise, falls flat
These aren’t failures though—>they’re feedback.
Our work is always teaching us when we are willing to listen.
Solitude Is Part of the Deal & Magic Is Boring
The gym at the crack of dawn. The writing desk (AKA my kitchen table) before sunrise.
I won’t pretend I love the solitude however this is where I meet myself, stripped of distraction. No audience. No feedback. Just me and the work.
One word becomes a sentence becomes a finished book. (The Consistency Advantage is finally re-done)
One rep becomes a workout becomes a 55 & 11 months functionally fit physique I couldn’t have imagined when I started decades ago
Neither happened in a flash of brilliance.
Both happened because I kept coming back.
Motivation Is Weather.
Consistency Is Climate.
We all wonder about motivation like it’s the secret to all the things.
And we wonder because we already know motivation is unreliable.
Consistency is what shapes who we become.
The difference between success and not-success whatever we are doing isn’t about love or passion. It’s this:
Consistently showing up vs. occasionally showing up.
If this sounds familiar here’s where to begin:
✍️ If you write but don’t lift (yet):
You already know how to show up when you don’t feel like it. Apply that same muscle to your bod.
Start absurdly small. One set of push-ups. Literally one kitchen chair dip. Let momentum build like it did with your writing.
⏳If you’re struggling to be consistent with anything:
Stop waiting for perfect and remind yourself it’s not coming. Some days you’ll only have that messy 10%. Give all of it.
Ask yourself: What small thing can I give fully today?
If you’re trying to do too much at once:
If you’re me trying to build two habits at the same time usually means building neither.
Pick *one* practice for 2–3 months. Build consistency first then layer on the next thing.
If anything in this resonated, if you’ve sat in your car, staring at the gym door, or hovered over the blinking cursor on the blank page wondering if you should doom-scroll instead you’re not alone.
Consistency isn’t glamorous. It’s just what works.
And it’s what I write about here every week.
If you want more of these honest conversations about showing up, I’d love for you to subscribe and join me.
If you’re already subscribed thank you for being here.