How to Build Consistency: Practical Steps to Stick to Your Goals
How to stay on track without burning out
Being consistent is essential if you want to achieve success. Building a business, training for a marathon, or maintaining relationships all require showing up regularly. Luckily, consistency is a habit you can develop with a few simple steps.
Start Small
Begin with tiny, manageable actions. Many people fail because they try too much at once. Running 10 km on the first day or trying to work an entire weekend can lead to burnout. That creates a negative association with the activity, making it feel exhausting instead of enjoyable.
Start small to build the habit and confidence:
Reading: 5 pages per day
Running: 2 km for the first month
Business work: 1 hour, twice a week
Small, consistent steps prevent burnout and make it easier to stick with the habit.
Focus on the Process, Not Each Session
It is easy to judge yourself for a “bad” session:
“Today I only read 2 pages” or
“I just ran 1 km.”
One short or imperfect session does not define your progress. Even 20 minutes in the gym is better than skipping it entirely. What matters is repeated actions over time, not the quality of a single session.
Focus on showing up consistently, not on perfection.
Make It Easy
Remove friction from your habits. The easier it is to start, the more likely you’ll stick to it.
Keep running shoes by the door.
Have a comfortable desk for work or writing.
Place books where you’ll see them daily.
The environment should support your habits, not work against them.
Share Your Progress or Join a Community
Support boosts consistency.
Join a running group, a co-working space, or an online writing community.
Sharing your progress, even small wins, creates accountability and motivation.
Share your progress online or with peers, whether it’s a run, a first draft, or a business project.
You will feel a sense of belonging to a community.
Never Skip Twice
As James Clear points out in Atomic Habits, skipping a habit once is normal, but skipping twice can start a new habit: the habit of skipping.
Our brains quickly adapt, and before you know it, skipping becomes the default response when motivation is low.
Consistency isn’t about intensity. It’s about showing up repeatedly.
Start small, make it easy, track your progress, and don’t skip twice.
Over time, these small steps compound into lasting results.
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Great succinct tips David - helpful reminder.
I've read and love Atomic Habits & its uncanny how the tip of actually putting out what it is you want to work on (whether shoes etc) works.
All the best & keep on, Jim
A great article, David.
Filled with many of my favorite nuggets, consistency and don't skip twice some of the biggest ones.