“So your coaching practice is about…consistency?” someone asked me recently, with the same tone you might reserve for someone who teaches people to boil water.
I get it.
On the surface, it doesn’t sound revolutionary, but here’s the thing:
I didn’t start coaching consistency because I was naturally structured or disciplined.
I started because I kept crashing into the same wall, over and over. Big goals. Strong commitments. Scattered follow-through.
That’s when I learned the lesson around which I now build all the things:
Commitment without consistency is just a pep talk.
And consistency without commitment? That’s motion without meaning and it rarely lasts.
We can hustle our way into routines. We can download the productivity apps, buy the planner, join the gym. If we're not committed to why we're doing whatever it is, however, we’ll burn out or quietly abandon the whole thing by next week.
And if we’re pretty damn committed, but have no sustainable system or accountability? We feel like we’re failing when the only thing missing is the how and the support.
*This* is why I coach consistency—> not as a niche, but as a universal human tension.
Whether someone comes to me about fitness, leadership, parenting, writing, healing, or just feeling stuck, at its core it’s always a version of this question:
How do I keep showing up for something that matters…especially when I’m tired, distracted, or unsure?
When we align what matters with how we live, consistency clicks. It’s not a discipline problem: it’s a missing bridge between commitment and action.
Training him took CONSISTENCY & COMMITMENT
The relationship between commitment and consistency is deeply intertwined psychologically and practically.
🖇 Commitment fuels consistency
When we are truly committed to something whether a goal, value, or habit it becomes easier to show up consistently. Commitment provides the why; consistency is the how that sustains alll our progress over time.
🔐 Consistency strengthens commitment
The more consistent we are in action, the more we reinforce our commitment. Small, repeated efforts create momentum, making it harder to abandon the commitment.
This connects directly to what I practice dont preach with friends, family and clients alike: motivation comes AFTER action not before. And how do we git ourselves in action? Consistency.
🖇 Commitment and consistency bias
Robert Cialdini’s principle of consistency suggests we prefer to act in ways that align with past commitments. Once we’ve declared a goal, whether out loud or even just to ourselves, we’re wired to follow through, because not doing so creates inner tension.
This is why small, repeated actions matter so much: they reshape our identity Each consistent step reinforces the story we’re telling about who we are and what we care about.
🔐 Commitment without consistency is weak
We know this as we have a l l lived this at one time or another. A strong initial commitment without follow-through leads to frustration, broken self-trust, and lost credibility (with self and others).
—> Commitment alone is intention; consistency is execution.
🖇 Consistency sans commitment = unsustainable
We can force ourselves to stick to a routine for a while, but without a real why behind it, it’s only a matter of time before we quit. This kind of empty consistency usually comes from chasing someone else’s idea of success, not our own. It’s hard if not impossible to stay motivated when our goal doesn’t belong to us.
This WRITING required CONSISTENCY & COMMITMENT
So, if you’ve ever wondered why momentum fizzled, or why something that seemed to work for everyone else never quite stuck for you maybe it’s not that you let yourself down.
Maybe you were trying to run on consistency without real commitment. Or you had all the commitment in the world, but no sustainable way to carry it.
Bottom line? Commitment and consistency are a package deal.
One gives us the reason to begin.
The other is how we build something worth keeping.
And when the two are aligned? That’s when progress starts to feel like self-trust in motion.
A simple practice to try this week:
Pick one area you care about, yet haven’t been consistent in.
Ask yourself:
“Am I truly committed to this OR attached to the idea of it?”
If committed: what’s the smallest consistent action you can take daily to honor that commitment?
If not: what would it look like to release it without guilt?
My fitness routine has been inconsistent, partly because of injury, but mostly because of inertia and negative self-talk. Last Sunday (my 74th birthday) on my way home from a week-long getaway, I committed to eating more healthfully and walking daily in order to be stronger and to feel more accepting of myself when I’m 75.
I’ll admit it’s painful to be in this state of mind at my age. But the benefits of becoming fitter and healthier will be worth it, no matter what age I am. And if I am to continue to age in place, the ability to do for myself is vital.
I thought of you and your consistency message many times driving home a week ago. And I’ve made progress this week. I will build on that progress going forward. Thank you.