Consistency Isn’t a Personality Trait. It’s a Design Problem.

'Disciplined' people aren’t more disciplined than you

I’m writing this from Brazil, a month into our year-long Latin America adventure.

And I’ll be honest: my habits are a fucking mess right now.

In Singapore, I had my routine on point. Perfected over years.

Wake up at 6. Coffee. Deep work on my outdoor terrace with the sound of the birds (which was often when I wrote because it was sooo quiet). Gym at 10am. Shower, brunch, back online feeling like I’d already won the day. Evening walk to get some steps and fresh air.

It worked beautifully. I was consistent. Productive. I felt great!

And then a month ago I became a nomad and all of it blew up.

New timezone. New hotel or AirBnB every few days. Gyms aren’t always great. No familiar coffee spots.

The structure that made consistency easy? Gonezo.

I preach this constantly. But I’d forgotten what it actually feels like:

I wasn’t more disciplined in Singapore. And neither are the people you admire.

They’re just living in environments that do more of the work.

Discipline Isn’t the Problem

A study by researchers at the University of Chicago tracked people’s daily temptations and self-control and here’s what they found:

People with high self-control don’t actually resist more temptations than the rest of us.

They encounter fewer of them.

They’ve set up their lives so discipline isn’t required as often.

The decision is already made. The friction is already removed. The environment does the work.

That’s not willpower. That’s design.

The five things working for you (or against you)

When I say environment, I don’t just mean your physical space (though that matters).

Your environment is everything that shapes what you do without thinking

• Physical space: Where things are. What you see first. What’s easy to reach.

• Time structure: When you do things. What’s protected. What gets squeezed.

• Tools and systems: What’s automated. What requires decisions. What creates friction.

• People: Who you’re around. What’s normalised. What’s expected.

• Energy patterns: When you’re sharp. When you’re depleted. What you’re asking of yourself and when.

My Singapore routine worked because every part of my environment supported it.

The terrace made deep work inviting.

The 10am gym slot meant I went when I had energy, not when I was depleted.

The evening walk was easy because the weather was cooler at that time and the route was familiar.

I wasn’t resisting temptation. I’d designed temptation out.

Now, in Brazil, I’m rebuilding from scratch.

And it’s humbling AF.

Because health coach or not, without the environmental support, I’m just a person with good intentions and average willpower.

Like everyone else.

Meanwhile, in gyms everywhere...

Right now, millions of people are trying to be more disciplined.

More gym sessions. Better sleep habits. Less scrolling. More reading.

And most of them are relying on willpower to make it happen.

Last Friday was Quitter’s Day. The second Friday in January.

Strava coined the term after their data showed 80% of people have abandoned their resolutions by this point.

80%!

And that’s not because 80% of people are lazy.

When you’re stressed or tired, your brain deprioritises long-term thinking.

It shifts into “let’s just get through today” mode, chasing quick rewards and avoiding effort.

That’s not a ‘mindset issue’. That’s a stressed nervous system doing its job.

Discipline is a backup generator.

It’s not meant to power the whole house.

Flip the question

Instead of asking “How can I be more disciplined?”, ask:

“What would make this easier?”

What’s creating friction? What decision could be made in advance? What’s in my environment that pulls me off track? What’s missing that would make the right choice obvious?

When I had my Singapore routine, I didn’t decide to write in the morning.

The terrace was already there. The coffee machine always ready. The birds singing anyway.

Writing at that time was the path of least resistance.

Now I need to rebuild that. Find the equivalent.

Design the conditions where consistency becomes the easy option, not the hard one.

That’s the work.

Not more discipline. Better design.

Your experiment this week:

Pick one habit you want to build.

Now ask yourself:

What’s one thing in my environment making this harder than it needs to be?

Not your motivation. Not your discipline.

Your environment. The physical space, the timing, the friction, the energy patterns.

What’s one small tweak that would make the right choice easier?

The bottom line

You’re not less disciplined than the people you admire. You just have a harder setup.

That’s a design problem. And the good news is that design can be changed.

This is what I’m rebuilding right now while on the road.

Finding the new defaults that make consistency possible without struggling every day.

It’s not about trying harder. It’s about setting things up so you don’t have to.

Next week: why “starting over” keeps failing, and what a real reset actually looks like.

Much love,
Noemie x

P.S. What’s one environmental tweak you could make this week? Hit reply and tell me. I’m genuinely curious what you come up with.

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