It’s Not Motivation—It’s This One Habit That Transforms Your Health

We hear the word consistency all the time, but what does it really mean? It’s simply showing up—over and over again. On the hard days. On the rainy days. On the frustrating, exhausting, everything-went-wrong days. It’s choosing not to make excuses or search for reasons you can’t move your body. As a coach, I can tell you this is the common thread among my most successful clients: they show up.

There are no shortcuts to health, fitness, and certainly not to running. Progress is built over weeks, months, and eventually years of steady habits. It’s not about being the strongest, fittest, or fastest person in the room. It’s about becoming the healthiest version of you. Once you start focusing on consistent effort instead of quick results, everything shifts. You stop chasing extremes and start building something sustainable.

I understand how busy life can be. I’m a mom of eight, work as a nurse, and run a business. Add in appointments, grocery shopping, school events, and everyday frustrations, and it would be very easy to say, “Not today.” Time feels short. Energy feels low. Someone always needs something. But we’ve all heard the truth: you can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself. There will absolutely be days when you can’t get the workout done—and that’s okay. Just don’t let one missed day turn into weeks. Consistency isn’t perfection; it’s returning again and again.

Setting goals helps keep you on track. Make them reasonable and attainable—but also exciting. Goals give you purpose and create a promise you make to yourself. Share them with your loved ones so they can cheer you on and support the time you dedicate to training. When others understand why it matters to you, they’re more likely to protect that time with you.

Remember, doing something is always better than doing nothing. Be flexible. If the workout needs to be shorter or less intense, it still counts. If life feels chaotic, look for creative solutions. Can the kids ride their bikes while you run? Can you take a quick walk during a break at work? Can you squeeze in strength exercises while dinner is in the oven? Movement doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.

With your goals in mind, create a plan. Decide which days are rest days, where your long run fits, and when you have the most energy for intensity. Do you prefer mornings or evenings? Do you need to account for heat or cold? A well-designed plan that works around your real life is much easier to follow. Frustration should not be the norm. Schedule your workouts like appointments and share that schedule with your family so they can help with daily tasks. This builds accountability and establishes the routine where consistency thrives.

Not every day should be a hard day. Stacking intense workouts back-to-back will leave you tired, discouraged, and searching for an excuse to quit. Be open to adjusting your schedule. If something isn’t working, change it. That’s not failure—that’s growth. Part of consistency is identifying what doesn’t work and finding solutions instead of excuses.

And remember, consistency requires support beyond the workout itself. Nutrition, hydration, sleep, and true downtime all matter. Fitness is not separate from your health—it’s part of it, and it must be supported properly. If you stay up too late, skip balanced meals, and neglect hydration, your next workout will feel harder than it should. Plan your meals, snacks, and fluids around your day so it becomes simple to stay on track. Don’t wait until dinner to realize you’re behind on hydration.

Organize your time. Set up a schedule. Build habits that support your goals. Once you do, consistency becomes less about willpower and more about rhythm. You’ve probably seen it before—someone gets healthy, feels amazing, and then slowly falls back into old patterns, regaining weight and losing energy. The difference between temporary change and lifelong health is consistency.

This isn’t a quick fix. It’s a lifelong routine. And the beautiful part? You don’t have to be extreme. You just have to keep showing up.