How to Stay Consistent – Even When Motivation Runs Out
Consistency is the ultimate game-changer. It’s what separates the dreamers from the doers, the talkers from the achievers. But let’s be real, staying consistent isn’t easy. Everyone starts the year off with goals, a vision board and after a strong start to Dry Jan, a consistent approach with the gym, the food havits and changes made, by the end of Feb you are back to the drawing board with the same sh*t! All motivation has dried up, and the want you had 2 months ago has disintegrated because its got difficult to stay consistent.
You are bored. You lost motivation. You just cant be asked! Sound familiar?
Motivation comes and goes, life gets in the way, and sometimes you just don’t feel like showing up.
So, how do you stay consistent when everything in you wants to quit? I speak about the one diary that has changed the game for me this year and thats in the video below:
But let me break it down for you in a number of steps so you can take some action!
1. Define Your Non-Negotiables
Consistency isn’t about doing everything, it’s about doing the right things every single day. -
Choose 2-3 non-negotiables that align with your goals. For example, my goal is to get below 10% body fat. The 2-3 non negotiables are across the course of the week I have to average 10k steps, hit a PB every week, and restock at my nearest supermarket to make sure I follow my foodplan.
These should be things you commit to NO MATTER WHAT.
2. Make It Easy to Win
Too many people set themselves up for failure by making consistency too hard. Instead of saying, “I’ll work out for an hour every day,” start with “I’ll move my body for 10 minutes.”
Or I will complete 3 workouts this week.
We are not looking for you to Start strong and tail off into the distance. I want you to build a habit and a routine around the goals you want to work towards and continue to push towards it. Its that simple!
For myself with my goal, and my non negotiable of a PB, one week it might be an extra 30 seconds on the stair master, or an extra rep pushed in one of my three sets of a particular exercise. Its all about moving the needle forward.
Small wins build momentum, and momentum fuels consistency.
3. Track Your Progress (The 1% Rule)
This is where Steven Bartlett’s 1% Rule comes in clutch. The goal isn’t overnight success. It’s getting 1% better every day. Whether you’re using a diary, a habit tracker, or just taking mental notes, track your progress. Seeing how far you’ve come will keep you pushing forward.
When I look back at December I can see my squats for instance were terrible in terms of form and weight I could push. Fast forward 8 weeks later I have gone from squatting comfortably 30kg to 90kg. How? By gradually pushing myself every session to lift a little bit more and get more reps in. Truthfully I could have pushed 90kg in January but would have struggled.
Now it feels clean. This is because week by week, I montitored the numbers and told myself I will get 1% stronger this session. And the results are the results.
4. Master Your Mindset
Consistency isn’t about motivation—it’s about discipline. Now discipline gets a negative connotation but I always tell my clients dont be negative about it, just ask yourself how bad do you really want this? This is where we master the mindset.
Sometimes we dont want it bad. Sometimes we do but were having a bad day or a bad week. That is okay!! There were days I chose to have a pastry, eat a pizza and get a kebab in in the last few months. I caved.
I was fed up with other things and I let that get in the way of my health and fitness goals.
However I ensured that when I did fall off momentarily I pushed myself to go harder the next session.
I'd push myself to burn an extra 50 calories on the stair master.
I'd push myself to train a little harder. Walk a little more on the treadmill.
Because sometimes it is a case of the mind being in a place where you do decide to sit on the bench and throw a tantrum at life and things dont progress. I think this is normal. However its not normal to just stay on the bench and go backwards.
Your future self will thank you for mastering your mindset and being kind to yourself when necessary but pushing for that growth you really want!
5. Hold Yourself Accountable
Find a way to stay accountable. Whether it’s announcing your goals publicly, getting an accountability partner, or using a tool like the 1% Diary to check in daily. When you know someone (even your future self) is watching, you’re less likely to fall off.
Final Thought:
Success isn’t about going all in for a week—it’s about showing up, day after day, even when it’s hard. Build systems, not just goals. Focus on progress, not perfection. And remember: The key to consistency? Just start. Even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it.
🚀 Want to level up? Drop me a DM on https://www.instagram.com/unclepri_/ and state the phrase "LEVEL UP" where I can talk you about my new coaching programme "Unfltered Accountability"
Let’s get after it! 🔥
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