#8 - Consistency

One Step at a Time… and 3.65 Million Later!

Let’s talk about consistency.

Not the sexy, buzzwordy version you see on LinkedIn with perfect morning routines and ice baths at 5am, breathwork and meditation retreats once a month or even the sales reps we all need to be doing.

No. I’m talking about the real version of consistency.

That slightly uncomfortable, definitely unglamorous, slow-as-hell grind of showing up every single day, especially when you don’t want to.

Because here’s the truth: most people massively overestimate what they can do in a day… and wildly underestimate what they can do in a year.

Take this, for example:

A little over a year ago, I set myself a challenge that felt a bit ridiculous at the time – 10,000 steps every single day, for the next 365 days. Rain, shine, illness, burnout, and whatever else life threw at me, I was going to do those damn steps!

It was a goal I honestly wasn’t sure I’d hit.

And that’s the point.

It scared me.

The goals that really help you grow?

They’re (a little bit) terrifying!

If your goals don’t make you uncomfortable, they’re probably just to-do list items, dressed up as juicy objectives.

Checkpoints not ambitions.

The magic happens when you commit to something that makes you really second-guess yourself.

Something that feels a bit too big.

That you secretly doubt you’ll be able to keep up.

Because once you're in, the only way forward is… well, forward.

For me, walking 10K steps a day seemed simple on paper. But life doesn’t happen on paper.

Since setting the goal, I’ve had some of the hardest and most emotional moments of my life:

-          My dad passed away just before my own wedding.

-          His funeral.

-          Christmas.

-          That grim, bleak day after doing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks.

-          A full week where Leeds turned into a frozen wasteland in January.

The days where the to-do list won, and motivation was on holiday.

You get the picture.

But the steps needed to be done.

There were plenty of days when I didn’t want to do anything, let alone walk around in the rain like a deranged Garmin addict.

But I still did it.

One simple step at a time.

And that’s the lesson right there – you don’t need to leap forward every day.

You just need to take one step forward. Then another. And another.

It’s the kind of advice that sounds too simple to be powerful — until you try it and realise it’s the only thing that actually works.

I didn’t smash out 3.65 million steps in one go. I just showed up daily to do 10,000.

Even if I didn’t feel like it. Especially when I didn’t feel like it.

That’s what builds self-trust.

That’s what builds momentum.

That’s what makes you proud.

Slow and steady = sustainable!

Would I recommend everyone set a goal like this? Absolutely.

Would I recommend you make it a daily one with no room for error, ever? Honestly… probably not.

I haven’t broken the streak (yet!) — and the sense of achievement is massive.

But I’m not going to roll it over for another year.

Why? Because I want to improve, not just repeat.

And more importantly, I don’t want to feel the anxiety of having to tick a box every day without fail for the rest of my life. That’s not healthy, or realistic, and it doesn’t allow for rest or reflection, which are also vital to growth.

So this year, I’ll set a new challenge. Based on what worked. With some flex built in. But still something that stretches me and forces me to raise the bar.

Because that’s what it’s about, really.

Not achieving a goal, but becoming the type of person who chases hard things and keeps showing up anyway.

So, what’s your big hairy scary goal?

If you’re looking to shake off a rut, rebuild confidence, or prove to yourself that you can do hard things, start with one step.

Set a scary-but-doable goal.

And then start walking. Figuratively or literally. Both work (depending on your goal).

Because the results aren’t just in the numbers or the milestones.

They’re in how proud you feel when no one’s watching, and you do it anyway.

Let me know what your big (scary) goal is — I might even join you for a few steps of it.

And if you need someone to prod, poke or hold you accountable… well, you know where I am.