If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed one thing about me: I’m consistent.

For over a decade, I’ve kept a daily gratitude practice without missing a single day since 2013. I’ve meditated every morning for more than 2,100 consecutive days. I haven’t taken more than five unplanned days off exercise in the past five years. I’ve released a new episode of Wellness Your Way 51 weeks per year for over five years. I’ve eaten nourishing meals, met with clients, tracked my goals every Sunday, kept date night and family time commitments, and lived by routines that make me feel my best — not because I’m special or superhuman, but because I’ve built systems that make consistency non-negotiable.

People often ask me, “How do you stay so consistent?”

The truth is, consistency doesn’t come from endless motivation or willpower. It comes from mindset, structure, and self-leadership.  And if that sounds exhausting, I hear you, but my perspective is that this kind of structure frees me from the (even more) exhausting cycle of “starting over.” I’ve always believed that discipline equals freedom. When we stop negotiating with ourselves about whether we’ll do the thing, we reclaim energy and mental space for what really matters.

Today, I want to help you do the same. As you start thinking about your 2026 goals, here are two simple frameworks to help you stay consistent: one about what to VETO, and one about how to earn your COIN.

 

VETO: Four Things to Eliminate If You Want Consistency

Before we talk about what to do, let’s talk about what not to do. If you want to be consistent, you need to veto these four common traps.

V = Victim mentality

We all face challenges: demanding jobs, family responsibilities, health struggles, unpredictable schedules, and the list goes on. But if we focus only on why it’s harder for us than for everyone else, we give our power away. Instead, reframe: “Yes, this is hard. And I’m capable of doing hard things.” When you stop viewing circumstances as proof you can’t succeed and start viewing them as an invitation to rise to the occasion, consistency becomes possible.

E = Excuses

Sometimes you have real reasons for skipping a commitment — like when your baby kept you up all night and sleep is the healthier choice. That’s not an excuse; it’s a conscious decision aligned with your priorities. Sometimes, though, you wake up and “just don’t feel” like hitting the gym. Later in the day, you realize that was an excuse. Learn to spot the difference by truly exploring your reasons for not upholding your commitment in the moment, and you’ll stop letting short-term comfort steal your long-term success.  Your goals are not punishments to yourself; you actually want to achieve them, so stop letting excuses rob you of that feeling!

T = Time ambiguity

“I’ll work out more” or “I’ll start cooking at home” are good intentions, but they aren’t plans. Without clear when and where, those goals dissolve into “someday.” Define exactly when the behavior happens (Pilates on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 7am, for example), and create a backup plan for when life intervenes. If you leave your schedule to chance, chance wins.

O = Overwhelm

Sometimes the biggest barrier to consistency is doing too much at once. You decide this is the year you’ll meditate daily, drink a gallon of water, strength train, stretch, stop sugar, and sleep nine hours — all starting January 1^st. Within weeks, you’re burned out. Choose one or two priorities and master them before adding more. Momentum compounds, but only if you start small enough to sustain.

 

COIN: The Four Pillars of Building Consistency

Now that we’ve vetoed the habits that sabotage consistency, it’s time to earn your COIN — the mental “cha-ching!” I imagine every time I make a choice aligned with my goals.

C = Commitment (not hope)

Hoping to succeed is passive. Commitment is active. Commitment is the energy that says, “This is who I am now.” When you decide something is part of your identity (“I’m the kind of person who moves daily;” “I’m the kind of person who plans my meals”), you stop negotiating. Start speaking your commitments out loud and aligning your environment to support them.

O = Overcome obstacles

Consistency isn’t about avoiding obstacles; it’s about planning for them. Before they happen, write your if-then plan:

• If I oversleep and miss my morning workout, then I’ll do a 20-minute bodyweight circuit at lunch.
• If I forget to pack lunch, then I’ll grab a protein-rich option from the grocery store instead of drive-thru.

Anticipating obstacles turns setbacks into detours instead of dead ends.

I = Incremental improvement

Sustainable change rarely happens in leaps; it happens in steps. Celebrate small wins. If you meditated once this week, that’s once more than before. If you added one veggie to dinner, you’re trending upward. When you stack tiny habits, you build self-trust, and self-trust is the true fuel for consistency.

N = Notation (track your progress)

What gets measured gets managed. Tracking your habits (on paper, in an app, or even on a sticky note) gives you visual proof that your effort matters. I track my goals every single Sunday, and I still get a dopamine hit when I check off the boxes. You don’t have to be as data-driven as I am, but find a rhythm that keeps you accountable and connected to your progress.

Putting It All Together

Consistency doesn’t require perfection. It requires clarity, commitment, and the willingness to show up even when it’s inconvenient. Start small. Choose one area … maybe your morning routine, your exercise schedule, or your nutrition habits … and practice VETOing the excuses while earning your COIN.

The more often you keep a promise to yourself, the more confident you become. And soon, consistency stops feeling like effort and becomes motivating and validating instead.

 

Final Thoughts

As we head into 2026, I hope this gives you a fresh perspective on what true consistency looks like — not rigid, not joyless, but freeing. Because when discipline becomes part of your identity, you gain the freedom to live life with energy, focus, and peace.  If any of the above feels joyless to you, I encourage you to explore whether the goals you have in mind are goals you truly want or not.  If you want to do something, developing structures to actually do it sounds fun.  If you feel you ‘should’ do something, well, that’s another post for another day, but it’s unlikely to last in the long-term.

Of course, if you want help designing your own consistency framework for any aspect of your health, my team of functional nutritionists and I would love to guide you. Book a free consultation here, and let’s make 2026 your most consistent, fulfilling year yet!

Now it’s your turn: What are your top tips for consistency?  What are your biggest struggles?