The other day, I was talking to a friend about juggling the various demands of life—work, parenting, marriage, self-care—you know, the list that goes on and on. With so much on our plates all the time, it can often feel like we’re hopping from one thing to the next, never being able to be particularly focused on one of them for long.

My friend shared her experience of overcoming her inconsistent exercise habits, and it was encouraging. She told me how after years and years of being an on-again, off-again exerciser, she’d finally managed to work out at least three times a week, every single week, for the last 2.5 years.

What was the trick? I asked.

She said that for quite a while, her only goal wasn’t to lose weight or develop muscle—it was simply to be consistent. To get three to four workouts in a week, no matter what. Those workouts didn’t have to be two-hour slog-fests at the gym—they could be whatever fit naturally into her busy schedule and would feel challenging.

Week after week, my friend kept her commitment, and for a while, not much seemed to change. But then all of a sudden she started to reap some unexpected rewards. She had her first summer in her entire adult life where she didn’t feel self-conscious in a swimsuit. She noticed she felt stronger and could see muscle definition in places she’d never had it before. She felt better physically and personally.

Not because she looked better (though in all honesty, she did!), but because she knew she’d been putting in the work. She’d kept that commitment to herself each week, and that was truly the best reward of all.

This talk with my friend got me thinking about the various demands specific to our businesses or our work, and how easy it can be to fall into inconsistency.

We start posting on LinkedIn or doing Facebook Lives and stop after a few weeks…

We write a few blog posts and then let it fall by the wayside in favor of other things…

We get to work on creating a new service or course and then shift back to focusing on our bread-and-butter offerings….

Yet what I learned from my friend (and what I’ve seen through my own experiences) is that the best rewards, such as the hoped-for results as well as the unexpected extras, come from consistency. Sure, the quick wins are nice, but the gains that come from consistency are usually much better.

The key to reaping those benefits is to stick with it long enough for them to have the chance to grow, mature, and bloom.

So, how do you build consistency in your business?

Take some tips from my fitness-loving friend:

1. Choose one or two things in your business to be consistent about. Take a look at your business goals and figure out what actions, if consistent, will help you generate the results you’re striving for. Make those your top priorities for now and stop worrying about the rest. There’s no point in taking on too much and overloading yourself.
2. Commit first and foremost to being consistent. Yes, the business results you’re hoping to achieve are super important, but they’ll only happen if you’re consistent. So, keep consistency as your primary goal to start. For example, let’s say your goal is to get more visible on social media. Commit to posting three times a week on specific days and focus on doing that consistently. Don’t worry about how much interaction you’re getting or if new leads are coming your way. Think about that after you’ve established consistency and know that you’re going to continue to follow through.
3. Be flexible and positive with yourself. Consistency is the key—not how big your action is. Many days, doing something is going to be better than doing nothing. If you’re trying to be consistent at being more visible on social media but you’re having a crazy week, don’t beat yourself up about not having time to create an elaborate post. Post something short and sweet that’s still packed with value, and give yourself a pat on the back that you stayed consistent and committed to yourself and your goal when you might have otherwise done nothing.

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage “all good things come with time.” Well, it’s true.

With time—and even more importantly, with consistency—you’ll watch the business results you’re aiming for happening more easily, and feel the satisfaction that comes from seeing something through. Read more: Share on X

With time—and even more importantly, with consistency—you’ll watch the business results you’re aiming for happening more easily, and feel the satisfaction that comes from seeing something through.

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About The Author

Rachel Gogos is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for people, the web, and creating strong personal brands. She started her career at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she helped create the look and feel for the organization’s first website. Today, in her current role running brandiD, Rachel channels over 15 years of marketing and communications experience into each and every website for brandiD’s clients. Find out more!