From Burnout to Balance: The Power of Consistency in Achieving Goals

If you’ve ever tried to achieve a goal, you’ve probably experienced the "all or nothing" mentality. It’s that feeling where you either go all-in or you don’t bother at all. You commit fully to a new habit, dive headfirst into a project, or give 110% effort—until you burn out and crash.

Sound familiar? I know this feeling all too well. I spent years juggling work, my personal life, and fitness goals, always feeling like I had to really push myself in every area or else it wasn’t worth doing at all. But what I realized through a combination of trial, error, and a bit of self-compassion is that consistency really is the key to progress.

Here’s how finally ditching the "all or nothing" mentality changed everything for me.

Go big or go home? No, thanks.

According to Gretchen Rubin, I’m an upholder—and I love a good challenge. I’d often set ambitious goals for myself, thinking I had to do everything at full capacity in every realm of my life. But that mindset is not only exhausting, it’s impossible to maintain.

When it came to building a new business, I had the best intentions. I’d set high expectations for myself and tackle big tasks with all my energy. Eventually, I’d get tired and lose momentum. I’d get frustrated with myself for not showing up with the same intensity each day, eventually to the point where it didn’t feel worth doing anything if I couldn’t knock out a huge chunk of work.

The same applied to my fitness goals, despite having been a Bar Method instructor. When I’d stopped going to class because work was too busy, or my clothes felt tight, I'd get the urge to overhaul my diet and exercise routine all at once—only to crash. It was a vicious cycle: try hard, fall off track, beat myself up, rinse and repeat.

I realized this "all or nothing" mindset wasn’t helping me, it was holding me back from moving forward like I wanted to. With nothing to lose, I decided to try simply showing up — even if it meant jotting down a few client ideas instead of doing a big deep dive like I planned, or doing 10 minutes of planks before bed instead of a 45 minute workout when I felt tired. Melissa Wood, one of my favorite sources of inspiration, often says “doing something is better than doing nothing”. She’s spot on.

Small steady wins add up

At first, consistency felt like a less exciting alternative to my usual all-in approach. It wasn’t as satisfying as going full throttle, and some of the time I felt like I “did nothing”. But consistency compounds over time, and it’s the small, steady efforts that have led to the results I always wanted.

See, the more I showed up, the more habitual it became. At first, it felt like I was forcing myself to take action, but as I kept doing things regularly, they naturally became part of my routine. I didn’t need to feel motivated every day, because the habit had already been established.

Sipping on a delicious, creamy coffee at Grand Cafe Orient during a trip to Vienna with my mom last December.

With my business, I started tackling smaller tasks — like listing expenses or answering email — during awkward gaps throughout the day instead of putting them off until I was through with meetings and could be more heads down. I also broke my larger goals down into manageable chunks, focusing on what I could do today. This helped me maintain progress, even on days when I had less energy to focus or get stuff done.

The same principle applied to my health. I stopped believing I had to stick to a specific regimen, avoid food groups, or do certain workouts to become healthier. Instead, I focused on making small, consistent improvements to my daily habits, like eating more protein, moving my body more often for smaller durations of time, and getting enough sleep. For the first time ever, I didn’t go harder in hopes of getting results faster. I fully surrendered, trusting that the little things would add up over time.

And they did.

Over the course of a year, those regular changes helped me lose 25 lbs. More importantly, this wasn’t a quick fix or a one-time effort—it was a sustainable shift in my lifestyle. Life is so much simpler and more enjoyable without restriction! Being able to make healthy choices based on whatever food is nearby and knowing I can get quality exercise outside of a class or the gym means I can stick with my healthy habits no matter what I do or where I go.

A mindset shift makes a major difference

If we tell ourselves we need to do things a certain way or get a specific result, we set ourselves up for failure. But when we embrace consistency, acknowledging that progress doesn’t need to look a certain way, we give ourselves permission to keep going—even when we can’t show up exactly how we wish we could.

Missing a workout or having an off-day at work used to mean I wasn’t “productive” or I didn’t “give my best”, and feeling that way derailed my motivation. Now, I see these moments as part of the process. Life happens, and it’s okay. I don’t need to start over or feel down every time I can’t show up 110%. Now I just pick up where I left off and keep moving forward the best I can. Sometimes I can only do a little, and sometimes I’m able to do a lot. I’ve learned to meet myself where I am.

If you’re tired of feeling like you need to go all-in or nothing, here are a few strategies that helped me make this mindset shift:

• Remember: Doing something is better than nothing: Whether it’s a work project or a fitness goal, break it down into smaller steps. Doing something is better than nothing, always.

• Set realistic expectations: You don’t have to show up with everything you’ve got or be perfect every time. What you can do today might be different from what you can do tomorrow. We don’t always need forward motion, either—standing still is okay.

• Be kind to yourself: If you miss a day or hit a setback, don’t beat yourself up. It’s all part of the process, and you have permission to restart your day anytime. Give yourself the space to fail, learn, and rest.

For me, letting go of the “all or nothing” mindset has had an amazing impact on my life. I’m enjoying building my business so much more than I was before, I feel much less stressed, and I have truly healthy habits for the first time in my adult life.

Small, consistent actions don’t just lead to results—they also make the journey more enjoyable. Instead of focusing only on the end goal, I’ve learned to appreciate the process. Start where you are and give what you have today, and you'll be amazed at how far you can go.