Why You Keep Falling Off: The Real Reason Consistency Slips (And How to Fix It)
A two-part system to stop flaking, start building momentum, and stay dialled in without burning out.
Ok. Let’s be honest.
You want to be consistent. You start with fire in your chest. Energy’s high. The vision’s clear. You show up hard for a week, maybe two. You're making moves.
But then — like clockwork — something slips.
You sleep in. You skip the session. You delay that one thing just a bit longer.
Then it happens again. And again.
Before you know it, you're back in that awful in-between zone. Not moving forward. Not fully off track either. Just... drifting.
Sound familiar?
Yeah. I’ve lived it. More times than I can count.
So I went deep on this. Not just reading books. But paying attention to what actually keeps me going. When I’m locked in for weeks. When I’m dialled. When results start to compound.
And what I found was this:
Every single time I was consistent, I had two things in place.
A routine.
And what I now call a CI Feed.
Let me break them down.
1. Routine
This is your system of showing up. The muscle of doing. The when and how of your days.
To have a routine that works, you need four ingredients:
Discipline – The inner voice that says “get up” when comfort says “chill.”
Habits – The stuff you do so often it’s automatic. No decision-making required.
Motivation – Not the hype. The reason. The why that actually means something to you.
Accountability – Someone or something that reflects back when you’re slipping.
You get these aligned? You win the morning, and eventually you win your week.
But routine alone isn’t enough.
Because no matter how strong your setup is, you will hit a wall.
2. CI Feed (Continuous Improvement Feed)
This is what catches you before you fall. What pulls you forward when you start slipping.
It’s built from two things:
Monitoring your progress
Managing your change
This is about paying attention. Being aware of how your system is working in real time.
The problem most people have isn’t that they’re lazy, it’s that they’re flying blind.
They’re not tracking how they’re doing. They’re not adapting their setup. They’re just… hoping it works.
But if you’ve ever felt:
Like you’re moving but not getting anywhere…
Like you’re putting in effort but feeling off…
Like you’re doing the same things, but they don’t hit the same…
It’s likely because your CI Feed isn’t active.
You’ve stopped noticing the signals. The subtle shifts. The signs your system needs a tweak.
I call it ‘CI Feed’ because it should be a constant feed of understanding your progress and tweaking for change all the time.
Let me paint you a picture
You’re two weeks into a solid run. Waking early. Training. Creating. Doing the stuff.
You’re proud. Rightfully.
But on week three, something’s… off.
You wake up and don’t feel the same fire.
You delay your start. You scroll more. You get the bare minimum done, if that.
You know it’s happening. That quiet voice starts up:
You’re slipping.
But you can’t shake it. And weirdly, part of you doesn’t even want to.
Why? Because this is the part no one talks about:
Consistency has a chemical cost.
When you move forward relentlessly, your body and mind look for equilibrium. They want to balance out the intensity.
So when you’re in go-mode too long without adjusting, you hit a weird homeostasis — where you’re doing enough to feel good, but not enough to grow. You become your own handbrake.
Stagnation kicks in.
And if you’re not monitoring, it becomes your new normal.
The power of small course corrections
This is where the CI Feed saves you.
With it, you spot the slip early.
You notice:
Your focus time dropped by 30 minutes this week.
You stopped journaling.
You skipped one, then two workouts.
Your decision-making slowed.
Then? You adjust.
Maybe you simplify your day. Reduce inputs. Add a day of stillness. Shift your training. Reconnect with your actual goal.
That’s the difference between drifting for 3 days…
and drifting for 3 months.
So what do you do?
You build your system on two pillars. Not one.
Routine – To keep you showing up.
CI Feed – To keep you evolving as you go.
Together they do what motivation alone never could:
Keep you consistent even when things change.
Because they will.
You’ll get tired.
You’ll hit resistance.
You’ll plateau.
But with the right feedback, you adapt. And that’s the game.
Consistency doesn’t live in hype.
It doesn’t live in the perfect plan.
It lives in the quiet rhythm of your days and your ability to listen, adjust, and keep going.
So next time you feel that slip, don’t beat yourself up.
Check your system.
Ask:
Is my routine clear?
Is my CI Feed active?
If not, rebuild. Adjust. Recalibrate.
Momentum returns faster than you think when you know what to look for.
And now you do.
What did you think of today’s newsletter?
🧡 Loved it. like or drop a 🙌 or comment above.
🤩 I want more. Check out our reader favourites here.
👌Haven't subscribed yet? Click here to get more tips, tools, and updates straight to your inbox!
😊Free web apps & tools to boost your productivity here.
👇Substack Writers Workflow Notion Template: FREE when you recommend The BLDR Growth newsletter (just message me below!).
I struggle with consistency myself most times I make timetables and I never keep to them. I have a daughter I write down what I meant to do, but I barely get half of it. I think it’s a struggle everyone faces, regardless of how much we hide it Jez.
This is very beautiful. It’s powerful and it’s perfect thank you so much, my friend. It was a blessing coming across this and you are amazing. I'm Ral, amazing meeting you.