Whenever a new year rolls around, or perhaps a birthday, we tend to commit to accomplishing a goal, changing a habit, or unlearning one. However, the real challenge is not in starting, but in staying consistent over time. Because, truth be told, that is the only way to actually achieve a goal. From losing weight to getting a business off the ground, it is important to stay the course until the goal is actualized.
The real question is: How do I stay consistent?
Online coaches and gurus will say, “Have a good support system,” “Read 10 pages of a book a day,” “Make your bed in the morning,” “Write your goals down on a sticky note and let it haunt you every second of your existence.” These are all valid if you are already motivated.
But what if you are not?
I have tried the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method. It does nothing for me. I do not launch from my bed like a rocket and get to the task I need to do. Even after counting down, I still wait for myself to get up. It is not working.
It was not until I stopped and asked myself, Wait a minute… why do I want to exercise? Why do I want to launch a business? Why do I want to learn a new skill? Why do I want to stop binge eating?
The answers seemed obvious. Like, duh—improve your health, gain financial freedom, probably help the world be better along the way.
But guess what? Those answers still were not enough to stop me from hitting snooze the moment my alarm rang.
So what did I do to stay consistent? What made working on my goals a non-negotiable?
I had to have a STRONG why. Not a generic why. Not a motivational quote. Not something even ChatGPT could come up with. I needed a reason that was raw, personal, undeniable, and in my face daily.
For example, before launching this blog, I had started several others that went nowhere. (Well, who is to say this one will go anywhere either?) What I mean is, those blogs had no direction. No solid why.
I once started a biomedicine blog in grad school simply because others were doing it and I liked how it made them look: reputable and trusted. I also started one about my premed journey because I was in my poetic era and wanted to pour all my creative juices online through the lens of a premedical student.
I cringe whenever I read those posts now. But hey, some attendings saw potential and even praised my writing. Still, those blogs were short bursts of me knowing I wanted to blog, but having no strong reason why I was blogging.
Now, as a mom and early-career professional, I want to share my experiences, insights, and systems with others who are juggling the demands of life while trying to better themselves. That might sound cliché to some—but to me, it is a strong why.
Every evening, I ask myself: What insight did I glean from the day’s work that I can share with others? I write it down. I document and share it here, through this blog.
This is something I face and live daily. It is not going anywhere. It is personal because these are my experiences. It is raw and unfiltered because I am not bound by constraints or policies. I am now blogging from a place that does not run dry. A place where inspiration never wanes.
It is not just an era or a phase. I am coasting through an identity that will remain with me forever. I will always be working. I will always be a mom. And I will always be navigating how to thrive while juggling both—or even more. I have been a graduate student before this, so I know a thing or two about wearing multiple hats and being productive.
So, all that to say: Anything you want to do must have a strong, solid why attached to it.
Otherwise, over time, you will get tired. You will lose interest. You will lose motivation. And that goal? It will quietly fade away.
Only what you water grows and thrives. And when you think of water, it is everywhere. It never runs out. Even in the desert, the sweat dripping from your face in the sweltering heat is still water and it could make all the difference.
Find your water source. Find what makes you tick. That way, when you count down from 5 to 1, you are already moving before you hit 1because you know this has to be done, no matter what. Your strong why sprung you into action.
With a strong why, you will be unstoppable. You will become the best version of yourself. You will thrive.
Do you have an unconventional way to stay consistent on the road to achieving your goals? Share with me below.
Thrive Mode 