Building habits that bend without breaking
Most Days, Commited.
It’s August. That month of winding down. Where half the world seems to be on vacation, business slows naturally and life feels lighter.
If you’re employed, August is almost guaranteed to be quieter. If you’re self-employed, it’s trickier - because the choice is yours. You can always press on: work on that strategy, polish that plan, finally do that admin, write more posts. There’s always more you could do.
I took a week off and drove down south in Portugal. Naturally, the question popped up before: Should I pre-write and schedule my weekly article? Old me would have. New me is experimenting. Two articles I read this month helped me decide not to.
The first was from Justin Welsh: “Commitment. Not consistency.”
Justin points out that people treat consistency as the ultimate secret to success. Show up every day, never miss, don’t break the streak. But consistency is fragile. It shatters the moment life throws you a curveball such as when you get sick, when a deadline shifts, or when you simply need to rest.
Plenty of ‘consistent’ people burn out because they worship their systems. One missed day, and the whole thing collapses. Commitment, on the other hand, is about your ‘mission’. It’s less about sticking rigidly to the method, more about keeping your eyes on the destination. Committed people forgive themselves when they slip, adjust when needed, and keep going.
That resonated. I am committed to my writing. But does that mean I can’t skip a week if I’m on vacation or sick? Of course not. Commitment isn’t about never missing. It’s about never losing sight of what matters.
The second article was Bree Groff’s “Most Days” theory, guest writing for Emma Gannon.
Bree writes about lowering the benchmark of success. You don’t have to be doing well all the time, just ‘most days’. Instead of holding yourself to impossible standards, you let ‘enough’ be defined by you. Most days she cooks a proper breakfast for her daughter. Some days it’s just a banana. And that’s fine.
Most days is sustainable. Most days means you don’t punish yourself for slipping up, you simply begin again tomorrow.
Reading that, I realized that this is a great way to approach life.
Most weeks, I write my articles. But if I don’t because life intervenes, it’s ok.
Most days, I eat vegetarian, because I care about the planet. But sometimes I crave sushi, or I share a meal with friends and I eat the meat that’s there. That’s ok too.
Most weeks, I practice yoga three times. But when I don’t feel it, I skip and come back the next day.
This rhythm is what keeps me going in the long run. It’s my sustainable strategy. If I forced myself into rigid absolutes, I’d risk dropping the habit entirely. For me, it’s always been about balance. And I do want to enjoy the journey and not just arrive at the destination.
So here’s my takeaway: I’m deeply committed to the things I care about. I don’t lose sight of where I’m heading. But I’m done beating myself up for skipping a beat.
Commitment and “most days” - that’s enough to carry me forward. Let’s build habits that bend without breaking.
Love this! With time I’ve definitely gone all the way from “consistency at all costs” to a “most days” mindset. I’ve found that taking breaks are exactly what helps me to keep going over a longer period of time and to avoid burnout. The curve will always smoothen out with enough time.
I love this. Remembering not to quit when you don't hit the exorbitant highs you imagine yourself capable of is half the battle. Thanks for sharing this.