On Staying Consistent

First, if you’re new here, hi I’m Jan, I write about entrepreneurship, growth and sometimes more abstract reflections on life. 320 hours to profit was an experiment earlier this year to turnaround our company. We did so, but now I decided to keep writing and documenting the journey beyond. Welcome 🙏

A fellow founder recently asked me for newsletter writing tips. My answer was simple: “The only thing that matters is to keep showing up.”

He nodded knowingly but pressed further: “I know consistency is key, but what are your actual processes? When do you write? Every day? Evening? How many hours?”

His follow-up revealed something important. He wasn’t looking for scheduling tricks or productivity hacks. He was struggling with something deeper, the why behind staying consistent.

Why Do We Struggle with Consistency

The motivation question is everything. Most of us, I know I do, start projects fueled by external validation. We think about likes, shares, follower counts, revenue goals. This extrinsic motivation create sort of a dependency cycle. When the metrics don’t hit, motivation crashes. When they do hit, we need bigger numbers next time to feel the same rush. It’s unsustainable because these rewards are unpredictable and not always in our control.

But when you’re intrinsically motivated meaning when the work itself gives you relief, pleasure, or fulfillment, it doesn’t feel like a task anymore.

Finding My/Your Why

I love writing because it helps me process thoughts, become more nuanced and connect with others. During fundraising, I meet incredibly bright people. Quick thinkers who can articulate ideas clearly.

I’ve always admired this quality, partly because it doesn’t come naturally to me. As an extravert, I think out loud. This comes at the cost of saying too much and meandering in conversations. For years, I wanted to be the concise, sharp thinker…the other guy.

But here’s what I learned: my ability to think out loud and connect with others is actually a skill set that others would love to have. We always want to be what the other person is, missing the value in our own natural approach.

Writing gives me the challenge of bringing random thoughts into coherent sentences. It’s my way of organizing the noise in my head while staying true to my thinking style.

Beyond Willpower

Sheer willpower works, but not long term. It’s like holding your breath—eventually, you have to come up for air.

When you genuinely enjoy the process, you want to do more of it. That’s where real consistency is born, and that’s when you start reaping the benefits that compound over time.

The entrepreneurs who stick with content creation, product development, or any long-term initiative aren’t the ones who have the best discipline systems. They’re the ones who found their intrinsic driver, their personal why that makes the work feel less like work.

The Question That Changes Everything

Instead of asking “How do I stay consistent?” ask this: “What part of this process do I actually enjoy, and how can I do more of that?”

Your answer will be different from mine. But once you find it, consistency stops being a struggle and starts being a natural expression of who you are.