1. Reflect (2 min)
Where are you confusing intensity with progress?
2. Write (5 min)
Here's the thing: intensity feels productive. It's dramatic. Instagram-worthy. You go all-in for a weekend, torch everything, then collapse by Tuesday. Done by Friday.
Consistency is boring. It's unglamorous. Showing up when you don't feel like it. Same small thing every single day, nobody watching.
That's the whole game right there.
Mastery doesn't come from bursts. It comes from repetition. The compound effect doesn't care about your effort spike—it cares about your presence.
Think about it:
- All-nighter before the deadline (not 30 minutes daily)
- Crash diet lasting a week (not eating well consistently)
- Coding binge on weekends (not one focused hour every morning)
- New Year's resolution dead by February (not a micro-habit running year-round)
Intensity is a dopamine hit. Consistency is wealth-building.
You don't transform your body with one brutal workout. You transform it with 200 boring ones.
You don't build a business with one 12-hour grind. You build it with 1,000 focused hours across a year.
See it now? The guy doing less, more often, wins every single time.
Write it down: Where am I confusing intensity for consistency?
3. Act (Today)
Replace one intense goal with a consistent micro-habit.
Find something you've been trying to do "perfectly" and shrink it. Small enough to do every single day. No excuses. No failure possible.
- Instead of "90-minute workouts 3x/week" → 10 pushups every morning
- Instead of "2,000 words on weekends" → 100 words before breakfast daily
- Instead of "30-minute meditation when I have time" → 3 deep breaths when you wake
- Instead of "One book per week" → 5 pages before bed
Make it so small you can't fail. Do it today. Tomorrow. The day after.
Track it. Mark an X on a calendar every time. One goal only: Don't break the chain.