Why It Feels So Hard to Follow Through
Have you ever told yourself:
“Okay. Monday, I’m getting back on track.”
Over the weekend, you throw out all the junk food so you won't be tempted.
You get groceries, make a meal plan, and bookmark some new recipes.
And you tell yourself:
“This time I’m REALLY gonna stick to it.”
But then, Thursday night rolls around.
You get home from work exhausted.
You walk into the kitchen, and there are still dishes sitting in the sink from when you rushed out the door that morning.
You open the fridge and realize you forgot to defrost the chicken.
You pull up the recipe you planned to make and feel overwhelmed because it has more steps than "open and eat".
And suddenly, making dinner feels like climbing a mountain.
So...you order DoorDash.
And then the self-talk starts:
“I was doing so well.”
“I'm such a failure.”
“Why do I always do this?”
Maybe you tell yourself it's because you don't have enough discipline.
Or that your schedule is just too busy or too stressful.
That you should wait until life is less chaotic...
But the core of the issue here isn't discipline or poor timing...
It's friction.
Too much friction between you and the behavior you were trying to do.
Because when your brain is exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, or emotionally drained…
Even simple tasks can start feeling enormous.
And when that happens, your brain naturally looks for the path with the least amount of friction.
And this is where behavior change gets misunderstood.
Most women think consistency comes from:
trying harder
becoming more disciplined
having more willpower
But sustainable consistency usually comes from something much less dramatic:
Making the desired behavior easier to do.
That’s it.
Reducing friction.
And friction can show up in a lot of different ways.
Sometimes it’s environmental friction.
Your kitchen is cluttered.
The only quick options you have on hand are cheese and crackers.
You have to move 14 pieces of clothing before you can use the treadmill.
Sometimes it’s planning friction.
The meals are too complicated.
The workout is too long.
You don’t have backup options for hard days.
And sometimes it’s emotional friction.
You created a plan for the highly motivated version of yourself…
But now it’s 6pm on a Thursday and you’re trying to follow that plan as the exhausted, overstimulated, decision-fatigued version of yourself.
Those are not the same person.
And if your plan only works when you feel motivated, energized, and emotionally regulated…
It’s probably not actually a very supportive (or realistic) plan.
This is one of the biggest mindset shifts I try to help women make:
Instead of asking:
“How do I avoid bad choices?”
Start asking:
“How do I make good choices easier?”
Because when you lower friction, you follow through more consistently, without constantly fighting yourself in the process.
Not because you magically became more disciplined…
But because you finally built support for the version of you that actually exists in real life.
So here’s what I want you to think about today:
What’s one thing you’re working on right now…
And what’s one way you could remove friction to make that behavior easier to follow through on?
Send me an email and let me know
