Never skip a day unless you enjoy starting over... again... and again.
For those who don’t know what it means to rewind a cassette tape with a pencil, the name Jack LaLanne may be a mystery. LaLanne, a pioneer in the fitness industry, was renowned for his unwavering commitment to daily exercise and healthy living.
Steven Pressfield refers to a quote by Jack LaLanne when a friend in the gym asked the latter if it was okay to skip workout days. LaLanne replied,
It's okay if you skip a day working out. But on that day, you're not allowed to eat.
Harsh? Maybe. But it underscores a vital truth: skipping isn’t free, especially if we are getting started on a new habit. Every missed day sets us back, and the price of catching up is steep.
Please…Not Today
We all have those days when every fiber of our being whispers, “Not today.” The alarm feels louder, the bed feels warmer, and our dreams feel cozier. But mostly, we don’t want to get up and do what we need to because we don’t feel motivated and convince ourselves it’s okay to skip a day.
As I mentioned in my post on the Inspiration-Action Gap, far too many of us feel we need to be inspired to act.
We love to read book after book about mindfulness but never sit down to meditate. We watch videos and listen to lectures on improving our health, but we keep reaching for ice cream after dinner and never lace up our walking shoes.
The reason is simple: It is easier to consume than create. It’s much more fun to watch and listen to stories with inspiring results than it is to put effort into something that may or may not work.
However, the simple truth that echoes through every great accomplishment is this: consistency is king.
Never skip a day
Somerset Maugham was asked if he wrote only when inspired. His reply?
Yes. I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes me every morning at nine o’clock sharp.
It’s not glamorous or easy, but showing up daily—especially when it’s a new habit you are trying to establish—is the real secret to progress. Motivation can be as fickle as a toddler’s mood, so it’s best not to rely on it to do what must be done.
Stephen King is known for writing daily, including holidays and his birthday. He has often spoken about his commitment to daily writing as a key to his success and prolific career. In his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, King explains that he sets a goal of writing around 2,000 words daily and sticks to it, no matter the circumstances.
King believes that writing daily keeps his skills sharp, maintains momentum, and helps him stay immersed in the story. By treating writing like a job rather than waiting for inspiration, he has built a discipline that has allowed him to produce dozens of bestsellers over the years.
If showing up every day seems daunting, Kevin Kelly’s words on the power of small steps offer a more realistic, forgiving perspective.
When you feel like quitting, just do five more: five more minutes, five more pages, five more steps. Then repeat.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes to push through.
So, how do you ensure you show up daily and never skip a day?
Build accountability
I’ve written at length about how transformative Habit streaks—a continuous chain of repeating a task over a long period—can be.
If your goal this year is to read every day, you can find a way to track your daily reading.
Start by creating a habit streak by devoting 30 minutes EVERY DAY to reading regardless of how you feel, how busy you are, or what the weather is. You can keep such streaks going for days, weeks, months, or even years.
Somewhere down the line, reading will become an automatic habit—something you do every day, like eating and sleeping.
Finally
The secret to progress isn’t in grand gestures or one-off bursts of effort. It’s about the daily grind, the tiny victories, and the unwavering commitment to keep going.
Never skip a day. Show up, do the work, and trust the process. Over time, the results will astound you.
Finally, in the wise words of Steven Pressfield
There’s only one way to get good at anything. Did I forget to say? Keep working.