Why Staying Consistent Doesn’t Always Feel Rewarding
Faithfulness in the unseen season
This is the part during the movie where the main character finally decides they’re going to change their life.
They have the realization
The inspiring monologue happens.
all the tears are wiped away, and commit to becoming someone new is in full effect.
*Cue in the music*
There’s a motivational song playing in the background while we get a fast montage of clips. (mine would be Lovely Day by Bill Withers or Imma Boss by Meek Mills)
A timelapse of early mornings.
Training sessions.
Long runs.
Late nights.
Missed parties.
Small meals.
Alarm clocks going off before sunrise.
We watch them do all the “mundane” tasks that eventually bring them to their destination.
Training for the triathlon.
Practicing for the show.
Studying for the final exam.
These moments are sped through and get about 45 seconds of screen time… if that.
In movies, the process is just the bridge between the problem and the win, but in real life, we live in the repetition.
Going for the walk again.
Opening the document again.
Logging off.
Saying no.
Feeling like we can’t do it and wanting to give up.
Then opening the computer and trying again.
Praying the same prayer again.
It’s boring.
And if I’m honest, this is the part that’s been messing with me lately.
I thought consistency would feel more rewarding. Like once I stopped being inconsistent, there would be this sense of momentum, or confirmation and maybe a little bit more excitement.
Instead, it feels more daunting than anything.
No breakthroughs.
No emotional high that my ADHD thrives off of.
No clear sign that I’m “on the right track.”
Just an intentional choice.
Making The Choice Of A New Mind
Your brain does not care about your goals.
It cares about efficiency.
And according to The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, habits are formed through a neurological loop made up of three parts:
Cue
Routine
Reward
Over time, your brain learns to automate this loop in order to save energy. Because thinking (real, intentional, effortful thinking) is metabolically expensive and can require ALOT.
Your brain is always looking for ways to turn conscious decisions into unconscious patterns so it can free up space for other things.
Which sounds great, until you try to change something.
Creating a new habit isn’t just about making a better choice.
It’s about building an entirely new neural pathway.
Every time you choose to do something differently, like wake up earlier, pray before you scroll, practice the harp instead of turning on Netflix, you are asking your brain to fire in a way that it hasn’t fired before.
And it doesn’t like that.
New neural pathways take time and repetition to become strong enough to compete with existing ones. Especially when the old pathway is tied to something immediately rewarding like comfort, distraction, or rest. The new one is tied to something delayed, like growth, discipline, or healing.
Research has shown that habit formation can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days, depending on the behavior and the individual. Meaning that for months, you could be doing the right thing consistently… and your brain will still register it as unfamiliar effort.
Not identity.
Not routine.
Effort.
Which means every day you show up, not because it’s automatic but because you’re choosing to.
And you do it again.
And again.
Until one day, the path you had to cut through with a machete becomes the one you walk without thinking.
Boredom Isn’t a Sign You’re Off Track
The absence of excitement doesn’t always mean something is wrong.
It means there’s no adrenaline pushing you forward anymore. No urgency. No emotional spike. Just you and the decision you already made.
I feel this the most when I’m practicing harp.
There’s a difference between playing freely and practicing with a metronome. When the metronome is on, it feels mechanical. Like the magic of the music was replaced with math (which was my worst subject).
However, I need to use the metronome to be successful. It forces me to slow down, count, stay on beat and to actually learn rhythm.
Even with me knowing the why and all the benefits of the metronome, it feels like it kills the spark.
There are days I’ll stop mid-measure, grab my phone, and watch a funny TikTok just to give my brain a break, just to feel something again.
Writing can feel the same way.
I’ll sit staring at a sentence, trying to formulate a coherent thought, and my eyes start to feel like they’re melting. The romance of “I’m a writer” disappears, and what’s left is just… work.
Not magical.
Not cinematic.
Just repetition.
The “shiny and new” feeling fades.
The dopamine settles.
And what’s left isn’t hype.
It’s discipline.
Excitement can start a journey, but commitment sustains it.
Feelings fluctuate.
Calling doesn’t.
And when you’re called to it, nothing can stop it but you.
The Danger of This Season
When obedience feels boring, we’re tempted to:
create unnecessary drama
chase a “new word”
abandon what God already said
mistake stillness for stagnation
But often, God is asking:
“Can you stay faithful even when it doesn’t feel special?”
Because anyone can obey when it feels powerful.
It takes depth to obey when it feels ordinary.
Journal: Faithfulness in the Quiet
Where in my life does obedience feel repetitive right now?
What expectations did I have about how this season would feel?
Have I mistaken emotional quiet for spiritual absence?
What fruit might God be growing that I can’t see yet?
What would it look like to honor this season instead of resisting it?
Prayer for the New Season
Father God,
Help us to trust You in seasons that feel quiet and ordinary.
When obedience feels repetitive, remind us that You are still working.
When we don’t feel excitement, anchor us in commitment.
We know you are Jehovah Jireh the Lord that provides and we are thankful for all you have given us and are going to provide suddenly.
Give us the ability to be faithful over the few, so that we will have the ability to steward the “much” that you describe in Luke 16:10.
Deliver us from chasing feelings.
Forgive us for all the times we have mishandled our blessings.
Teach us to value faithfulness.
Teach us stability.
Let us be people who stay steady, not just when it’s thrilling, but when it’s simple.
Help us to honor every season, Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Allow us to be purposeful.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.