The Discipline of Consistency

Why Consistency is the Real Secret

Everywhere you look online, you’ll see the same promise: “Build your online business fast!” or “Go viral overnight and make money while you sleep!”

It sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want instant success? But here’s the problem: success that happens overnight usually disappears just as quickly. Building an online business isn’t about quick sprints. It’s about showing up, day after day, even when the results aren’t visible yet and more importantly, on days you’d rather be doing something else. (Golfers anyone?).

Consistency is the unglamorous truth behind every story of lasting success. Whether you’re running a YouTube channel, growing an affiliate marketing site, building an e-commerce brand, or creating digital products. The winners aren’t the ones who gave the most effort for a week or two. They’re the ones who kept showing up for months and years, stacking small actions into big results. (We’ve all read the story of the rabbit and the tortoise, right?).

In this post, we’ll break down three big ideas:

1. The Myth of Overnight Success – Why “big bursts” often sabotage your growth.
2. Building a Consistency System – How to stay on track without burning out.
3. Turning Consistency Into Results – The hidden benefits that show up when you stick with it.

Let’s dive in.

Section 1: The Myth of Overnight Success

If you’ve ever scrolled through social media, you’ve probably seen those stories:

• “She started a Tik Tok channel and gained 200,000 followers in a week!”
• “He made $10,000 in his first month of dropshipping!”

And while those things do happen, they’re the exception, not the rule. What you don’t see is the other 99% of creators and entrepreneurs who are grinding away quietly, building momentum step by step.

Why Chasing Bursts Backfires

• Unrealistic Expectations: If you start expecting immediate results, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. The first dip in engagement or sales will make you feel like you’ve failed. Even though you’re just at the beginning and doing all the right steps to get to where you want to be.
• Burnout: Big bursts of effort feel amazing for a short time. But when you try to sustain that level of intensity, you burn out. Then comes the crash where most people quit.
• Shaky Foundations: Even if you do “go viral” or get a quick win, if you haven’t built the systems to handle growth, that success can collapse rather quickly.

Think about it: would you rather have one viral video that gives you attention for a week, or a steady audience that trusts you and buys from you for years?

The Compounding Effect of Consistency

Consistency works like compounding interest. One workout doesn’t get you in shape, but daily exercise builds strength over time. One blog post won’t grow your business, but 100 posts spread across months can turn you into an authority in your niche.

Take James Clear’s idea from “Atomic Habits”: If you get just 1% better every day, you’ll be 37 times better in a year. That’s the math of consistency. Small steps, compounded, lead to massive results.

Examples in the Real World

• YouTube Creators: Most “overnight” YouTube stars actually spent years uploading with little traction before their breakout moment. Their success wasn’t luck, it was consistency. Joe Rogan, a comedian, commentator, and podcaster, comes to mind. It took him 10-15 years to build the online presence he currently holds.
• Affiliate Marketers: The ones earning passive income didn’t start yesterday. They built websites, tested content, and learned what works over years. My mentor, Dean Holland, has over 20 years experience in the online world. He will be the 1st one to tell you that it took time for him to get to where he is.
• Fitness Coaches: You don’t see transformations after one week of workouts. It’s the boring, repeated actions that build muscle and credibility. Believe me, as someone who’s pretty much trained all his life during my army days, it’s the long term that builds up that muscle.

The takeaway: Don’t chase bursts of energy or viral moments. Build the habit of showing up. Day by day, you’ll not only become better at your craft but you will also learn – and we all know that nothing beats experience or, as I like to call it from my Army time, nothing beats “boots on the ground“.

Section 2: Building a Consistency System

So, how do you actually stay consistent when motivation fades? Motivation is unreliable. It’s fun at the beginning, but it disappears quickly. That’s why you need a system; something that carries you through the days when you don’t “feel like it.” Here are 4 steps to help make that happen.

Step 1: Define Your Non-Negotiables

Think of non-negotiables as your minimum daily or weekly commitments.

• One Tik Tok video per day.
• Two blog posts per week.
• Daily engagement with your audience.

It doesn’t have to be huge. It just has to be consistent. By lowering the bar but keeping yourself committed to these minimums, whatever these are, you give yourself permission to succeed every day. Remember, burning yourself out by doing something you can’t commit to is not the way to go. We’ll talk about that a little later.

Step 2: Build Habits Around Triggers

Habits stick when they’re attached to something else you already do.

• After your morning coffee → outline your daily content.
• After dinner → spend 15 minutes networking online.
• Before going to bed → review your analytics.

By attaching habits to existing routines, you automate consistency and more importantly, you commit to getting these done on a daily basis.

Step 3: Track Your Progress. Not Perfection

Tracking creates accountability. Use a simple spreadsheet, journal, or app to check off your habits. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s to become consistent over time. Missing once doesn’t matter. Missing twice or three times, well that opens the door to inconsistencies and an even bigger door: Quitting. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself unmotivated because you’ve missed a few days.

If you have the option, (and most of us do), create, record and schedule your posts before you leave on vacation. I had taken a little over 2 weeks vacation in the beginning of the year and made sure that I had prerecorded, scheduled everything I needed to get done while I was away. It really felt great to be able to leave without the headaches that could have come with this if I hadn’t done it.

Step 4: Use Accountability Systems

Sometimes, we need external pressure. In my case, it’s the General in the house (for those unaware, I’m an Army brad and retired Officer but the wife will always be the General – just don’t tell her LOL!). There are a few options which include:

• Accountability buddies: Find a friend or business partner who checks in weekly. We have a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and the support they provide goes a long way in making everything click. Don’t forget; they can also be there when things aren’t going as planned.
• Public commitment: Share your goals publicly with your audience. Putting yourself out there by stating what you are going to do can definitely provide the drive you may need.
• Coaching/mentorship: Pay someone to keep you accountable. Dean Holland is definitely the best mentor I’ve had in a long time. He over-delivers and will strive to make you succeed.

Avoiding Burnout While Staying Steady

Here’s the trap: pushing too hard in the name of “consistency.” The key isn’t just showing up. It’s showing up in a sustainable way.

• Batch work: Like I mentioned above, create multiple videos, emails, or blog posts in one sitting. You could also repost previous posts that had a good interaction.
• Rest cycles: Take breaks intentionally. Rest fuels consistency. I’ve got a timer on my desk; every 50 minutes it rings and I get up. Walk around my office, refill my water jug and use my height adjustable desk to work standing for 10-15 minutes.
• Focus on the process, not the results: Success takes time. Celebrate showing up, not just the outcomes. There will be days and periods of time that you won’t have or see any results. That’s part of the process. Don’t forget, being able to continue even when everything around you isn’t showing the results you anticipate is what it’s all about.

The takeaway: Don’t rely on motivation alone. Build a system that will help you be consistent automatically. Let’s not forget, you’re in this for the long haul.

Section 3: Turning Consistency Into Results

Consistency doesn’t just keep you in the game, it multiplies your results over time. Here’s how.

Consistency Builds Trust

Your audience doesn’t just care about what you say, they care about whether you show up for them. When they see you posting regularly, emailing consistently, or delivering on promises, they begin to trust you. And trust is the foundation of sales.

Imagine two businesses:

• Business A: Posts randomly, disappears for weeks, then floods with content.
• Business B: Posts once a week, like clockwork, for a year.
  Who do you think customers trust more? Who do you think they’d most likely buy from? Business B every time.

Consistency Creates Compounding Opportunities

• Each blog post you write is a new way for people to find you through Google. Yes, we are all pebbles in a beach but when your pebble shines, there’s a good chance it’ll be seen and picked up.
• Each Tik Tok or YouTube video is a digital “salesperson” working for you while you sleep. We all can agree that the advent of the internet created the possibility of making sales around the world and 24/7. Something a brick-and-mortar business could never do.
• Each email you send strengthens your relationship with subscribers. They get to know you, they get to exchange with you. A conversation that will not only lead to trust but to the confidence of a potential sale.

Individually, these don’t feel huge. Collectively though, they create a snowball of momentum. (keep a mental picture of that snowball coming down the hill…).

Algorithms Reward Consistency

Platforms like Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram prioritize creators who publish consistently. The more often you post, the more data they have to push your content to the right audience. Inconsistent posting confuses the algorithm and, of course, your audience. I was also recently reminded, (thanks Sophie), that responding to comments – whatever they may be (yes, even those that are a tad awkward) can make the platforms algorithm work for you.

Consistency Shapes Your Identity

Perhaps the biggest reward is internal. When you keep promises to yourself, you shift your identity.

You stop being “someone trying to build an online business” and become “a business owner”. That shift changes how you see yourself and how others see you.

The takeaway: Consistency isn’t just about habits. It’s about trust, momentum, and identity.

Conclusion: Small Steps, Big Future

Here’s the truth: big bursts feel exciting, but they rarely last. It’s the small, steady actions that win in the long run.

Your online business doesn’t need you to be a superhero for a week. It needs you to show up consistently, even when progress feels slow. Because every post, every connection, every small step adds up.

The good news? Consistency is something anyone can master. You don’t need talent, luck, or a viral moment. You just need the discipline to keep going.

So this week, ask yourself:

• What’s one small action I can commit to every day?
• How can I make it so easy, I can’t fail?
• And who will I become if I stay consistent for the next year?

Your business, your brand, and your future self are waiting. Take the step. Then take it again tomorrow. That’s how success is built. I’ll leave you with a quote from Dean Holland. I’ve written it on my whiteboard in my office: “Become A Person Capable Of Success!“.

Like what you’re reading or have any questions? Don’t be shy, write it up in the comments section for me to reply and more importantly, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for continuous insights and tips.

Trust the journey – victories await along the way!