Consistency: When Motivation Runs Out

Motivation is a feeling. Feelings change with your sleep, your stress and how your week is going. Relying on it means your routine only works on the days you already feel like doing it.

Habit is what gets you through the rest. When something happens at the same time, in the same way, on most days, it stops being a decision you have to make.

Start with something small enough that you'd almost think it's too small. Attach it to something already in your routine, like your morning coffee or getting home from work. Make it easy to start by setting things up the night before.

You will miss days. That's the normal outcome, not a failure. What matters is what you do next.

Decide now what you'll do on the day after a miss, so you're not deciding it while you feel guilty. That one line is your get-back-on rule. Usually it's the shorter version, or the same thing later in the day.