Over the past few years, I’ve worked hard on improving my habits. It hasn’t been a sudden change but something I’ve built gradually since 2020. Just this year, from January 1st to October 8th, I’ve managed to:
- Meditate 140 days
- Practice breathing exercises 232 days
- Do cardio or strength training 204 days
And these habits have been consistent for five years now. They’re not records, but the important thing isn’t the numbers. What really matters is that what I’ve developed isn’t just my health or physical condition, but something more valuable: the ability to stay consistent with what I set out to do.
Throughout this process, I’ve identified a few rules that have helped me maintain consistency. They’re not universal truths, just things that have worked for me. But maybe they’ll help you too if you’re trying to build better habits.
1. Choose your goals wisely (yes, it sounds obvious… but it’s key)
Most of us want to improve everything: eat well, exercise, meditate, wake up early, do yoga, read more, sleep better, etc.
The problem is that trying to change everything at once usually ends in frustration.
Being protective of your time is essential. Pick one or two goals that truly matter and build around them. Start with a single habit that gets you closer to that goal, keep it up for weeks or months, and only when it becomes part of your routine, add another.
Consistency is built slowly, not intensely. Those who try to do it all at once end up doing little. But those who move step by step, go much further.
2. Discipline begins when you turn off your brain
This has been the biggest shift in my mindset. The easiest way to be disciplined is to stop deciding.
Don’t ask yourself every morning if you’re going to the gym. Just go.
The mistake is treating habits as daily choices; as long as you do that, there’s always a chance you won’t follow through.
There comes a point where certain things stop being optional — they’re just part of who you are.
As Eliud Kipchoge says, “Only the disciplined ones are truly free.” If you lack discipline, you’re a slave to your mood and emotions.
Not working out because you’re tired isn’t freedom — it’s obeying your excuses.
3. Think in years, not in days
Consistency isn’t measured in weeks. Results take time, but they accumulate. One day might seem meaningless, but a hundred make the difference.
The real challenge of habits isn’t difficulty — it’s personal responsibility. There’s no one reminding you to do your homework anymore.
No one’s going to ask if you meditated or ate well today. The only person who can demand improvement from you is you.
And as long as you keep making excuses, you’re only lying to yourself.
Over time, I realized that habits aren’t the end goal — they’re a means to something greater.
It’s not about doing more things; it’s about building the ability to stay firm in what you set out to do.
That ability — consistency — is worth more than any result.
Because once you learn to be consistent, you can apply that discipline to anything you choose.
And that’s where real change begins.
Download Pausa, a tool to help you breathe — it’s an excellent companion on your path to building better habits.