“We do what we have to do in order to do what we want to do.” ― James Farmer Jr [Denzel Washington] from The Great Debaters
Give me one thing that you want to do every day—outside of work life—besides the essentials of eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom.
Give me one thing that you want to do every day—outside of work life—besides the essentials of eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom.
Exercise?
Take a walk?
Drink more water?
Eat dinner as a family?
Pray?
Learn something new?
Simple question.
Better question…
Are you actually doing it?
Because the gap isn’t in knowing what matters.
It’s in consistently doing what we say matters.
Your reality is not defined by your goals.
Your reality is defined by your routines.
The Lie We Tell Ourselves
We all say it:
- “Once things slow down…”
- “Once the season is over…”
- “Once we get through this month…”
Then I’ll start.
But there’s always something.
If your routine only exists when life is easy… it’s not a routine. It’s a wish.
Build It—Don’t Find It
You don’t find time.
You build it.
And this is where most people struggle—they rely on motivation instead of structure.
If you want to turn intention into action, you need to lean into executive function—how you plan, organize, and follow through. [Thank you, Brandon Slade at Untapped Learning!]
Not more effort. Better systems.
- Want to do 10 pushups every night?
→ Set a 9:00 PM alarm. No decision needed. - Want to drink more water?
→ Set a morning and afternoon reminder to replace that soda or sugary coffee. - Want more family time?
→ Put it on the calendar. A real time. Not “sometime.”
Because if it’s not scheduled… it’s not real.
Start Smaller Than You Think
Most people fail because they try to change everything.
Instead:
Pick one thing.
And make it easy to win.
- 10 pushups when the alarm goes off
- One glass of water at each reminder
- 10 minutes at the same time each day
Now you’re not relying on willpower.
You’re relying on structure.
You Become What You Repeat
Do it once—it’s a good day.
Do it consistently—it becomes who you are.
That’s the goal.
Not just doing the habit…
Becoming the person who does the habit.
And that identity is built through repetition—supported by systems.
People Are Watching
If you’re a parent, coach, or leader—this matters even more.
People aren’t listening to what you say.
They’re watching what you do.
And how you do it.
When they see you build routines, set reminders, and follow through—they learn that success isn’t about motivation.
It’s about structure.
The Question
What is one thing you want to do every day?
Now go one step further:
- When will I do it?
- What reminder will I set?
- What does success look like at the smallest level?
And most importantly…
Will I do it when I don’t feel like it?
Final Thought
You don’t become who you want to be overnight.
You become that person through small, consistent actions—supported by systems.
A short walk.
A glass of water.
10 pushups at 9:00 PM.
A quick conversation.
It doesn’t look like much.
But over time?
It becomes everything.
If you’re ready to take ownership of your routines, your mindset, and your path—whether as a recruit, parent, coach, or leader—you can find tools and resources at coachmattrogers.com.
