Episode 330: Why "Consistency" Keeps Failing You (And What Rhythms That Actually Sustain You)
In this episode, we’re talking about inconsistency and why certain routines never stick, why “discipline” isn’t the issue, and how your Human Design shows the natural rhythms your body prefers.
If you’ve ever tried to force yourself into someone else’s routine, wondered why it only worked for a week, then berated yourself for “not sticking with it”, this episode will help you understand why — and what to build instead.
Listen to the Episode:
“You can’t be consistent with a rhythm that isn’t designed for your energy.”
Read the Transcript:
Welcome back to The Live FAB Life Podcast. I’m Naomi Nakamura and I am recording this episode the day before it drops – something I haven’t done in…well long before the pandemic.
But I have my outline here and my thoughts are somewhat organized so forgive me if I go on a tangent or two.
Normally I have episodes scheduled to drop about 10 days before they actually do, but I’m just back from a girls trip to New York City where I walked 27.4 miles in three days on very little sleep.
In fact, there were a couple of completely sleepless nights - not what I’d recommend for anyone, let alone a Projector, so to no one’s surprise, it’s taken me about three days to physically recover from it.
Today I’d say we’re talking about a related, maybe an adjacent topic related to this. We’re talking about a word that has haunted high-achieving women for decades, a word I’ve heard them repeatedly diss themselves for: consistency.
I used to have very dogmatic views on consistency. I believed that if you weren’t consistent, you weren’t putting in the effort to succeed.
And that’s because, like me, you’ve probably been told over the course of your life that consistency is the key to everything — your health, your productivity, your habits, your mood.
And when consistency slips, the advice is always the same: try harder, commit more, tighten things up. #amirite
But the longer that I’ve done this work, with the more clients that I’ve worked with, and with the knowledge of Human Design, my views have shifted.
And with this shift, I’m going to share a truth that you may not have heard before, but I promise, is true:
You can’t be consistent with a rhythm that isn’t designed for your energy.
The truth is that most of the wellness advice that’s been preached to us assumes everyone’s energy moves the same way — it’s steady, predictable, linear.
But the reality is anything but that - the reality is that very few people actually function that way.
So today, we’re going to have a chat about the rhythms that do sustain you, why the unrealistic pursuit of consistency keeps failing you, and how Human Design gives you a framework and a structure that finally matches how your body and your energy actually works.
Let’s start with the obvious: on paper, consistency is a great idea but in real life, it collapses the moment your energy shifts — or your stress spikes — or you have an off week — or you take a girls trip to New York City – or your body simply says “no.”
But the wellness world treats inconsistency like a moral failure.
How many times have I heard a client, a friend, my past self say that they’re less of a person, a weak person, “not good enough” because they fell off the wagon, that they’re a quitter, that they’re “not as good as,” that they “wish they were more like” – because they weren’t able to be consistent.
But unlike the wellness world, which is why it speaks so strongly to me, Human Design treats inconsistency like data.
Human Design shows you that:
- some designs have sustainable energy
- some are cyclical
- some are spontaneous
- some move in waves
- some need rest built into everything they do
And some people – I almost want to say all people – lose energy the moment they force themselves into routines that don’t match their wiring.
Consistency fails you not because you’re undisciplined, not because you’re not good enough, not because you’re weak, not because something’s wrong with you, but because you were told to follow a rhythm that’s not yours, never was and never will be yours.
Essentially, we’ve been set-up for failure. I truly believe that.
If you follow me on Instagram, I struggle with posting because I talk about “wellness” but my approach to wellness isn’t like traditional wellness but the algorithm being what it is, will either feed back all those things I’ve moved on from or lump me in with them – but that’s a topic for another day.
But back to rhythm (didn’t I say we’re at risk for tangents today), when I talk about “rhythm,” I don’t mean doing the same thing every day.
To me, rhythm is about understanding how your energy behaves, and building your life that respects that behavior.
Human Design helps you read those patterns.
For example: If you have an undefined Sacral, like me – Manifestors, Reflectors and my fellow Projectors: Our energy is inconsistent by nature. We aren’t meant to operate at the same intensity every day.
I think – no, I know that’s why it took me three full days to physically recover from my trip. I just didn’t have the energy to go at the pace we did for four consecutive days if you include travel – I mean 27.4 walking miles with zero sleep on 2 of the 4 nights that I was gone.
I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly exhausted I was when I got home. I was so beyond functioning off of adrenaline. I had the kind of exhaustion where I didn’t have the capacity to think straight.
Another example is: If you have Emotional Authority: Your clarity moves in waves. Your rhythm won’t be linear, no matter how many planners you buy.
The same with a Lunar Authority – your energy is cyclical and you need time.
If you have a Defined Sacral: I’m talking to you my Generator and Manifesting Generator friend, you may thrive with certain anchors — but only when they actually light you up. If you’re “forcing” – there’s that word again – that’s not how your rhythm works and its inevitable that your consistency isn’t going to be upheld even though you have sustainable energy.
You see its more than just “Oh I’m a Projector and you’re a Generator” type of thing.
If you have undefined centers – that the majority of us do – I’ve only come across one client who had all nine energy centers defined – that amplify other people’s energy: Your rhythm will feel different depending on who you’re around.
My friend, the point I’m trying to make here is that your rhythm isn’t random. It’s been ignored.
But once you understand how YOUR energy behaves, that’s when things can begin to stabilize — not because you’re more disciplined, but because you’re finally aligned with how your energy actually functions.
So, I like to keep things simple and real – practical and actionable. Let’s talk about the kinds of rhythms that support real women in real life — not the Instagram version of “consistency.”
Rhythms that are sustainable are:
Responsive rhythms: adjusting based on your energy on any given day, not what’s on your Google calendar or written in a planner, or on your training plan.
If you’re been here for a while, you know how my origin story here resulted from overtraining.
You see, I believed that I had to be “consistent” with my training plan and if I even missed just one day, one workout, no matter how exhausted I was or how much my body hadn’t recovered from the previous workout, I’d lose everything.
And that mindset drove my body into the ground. I was sick with a lot of conditions and a lot of things to be deconditioned from.
Cyclical rhythms: honoring your natural high-output days and your low-capacity ones without guilt, apology, and negative self-talk
Anchor rhythms: non-negotiable touchpoints keep you grounded, even when the rest changes.
Going on my trip, I knew I’d be walking A LOT and I knew sleep would be a challenge, but I anchored myself by making sure I was still eating relatively balanced meals (don’t get me wrong, I had Levain cookies) but I also made sure I didn’t skip meals, that I had veggies for fiber, that kept myself hydrated, and when I got home, I kept my calendar clear so I could have the downtime to rest and recuperate.
It’s not often I get to go on a girls trip to New York, especially with the crew that I went with so I wasn’t going to be that person who was so rigid for the sake of “consistency” – I adjusted my rhythms for it.
Rest-integrated rhythms: building in recovery instead of earning it. The notion of “earning” rest grinds on my last nerve. Honestly, who ever came up with that idea and then infused it on the rest of us?
The wellness world talks to us about “balance” but then sells us the idea that we have to “earn” our rest? No - that’s not what “balance” is about.
Signal-based rhythms: deciding based on what your Authority or body signals — not rules.
This is where Human Design and functional wellness blend beautifully.
When you follow your Authority and your body signals, you’re no longer chasing the version of yourself who can “do it all every day.”
Instead, you’re building a structure around who you actually are and how you’re actually designed.
So, here’s what I want you to notice this week – what I want you to practice self-observation on:
- When – what time of day – you naturally have the most energy. For me, it’s the mornings but not early mornings as I once thought - it’s mid-mornings. That’s when my brain feels the clearest and oh and look, I’m recording this at 11 am!
Practice self-observation around:
- When you mentally crash
- What drains you faster than it should
- What environments help your energy and your nervous system settle
- What rhythms have you been forcing out of habit, not preference
- What your body asks for when you’re not trying to be disciplined
I’m not asking you to keep a spreadsheet, but I am asking you to…as I quote David Beckham – “be honest.” If you’ve seen his documentary, you know what I mean — be honest and willing to stop performing a version of wellness that’s not and never was meant for you.
Because when you stop forcing consistency and start observing YOUR rhythm, your energy becomes easier to work with. You stop burning out. You stop guessing. You stop negotiating with yourself. And you finally feel supported by your life.
If this conversation clicked with you — if you suddenly recognized why consistency has been so difficult for you — then you’re ready for the next step in understanding your energy.
Start with Designed to Thrive — my gentle but practical guide that helps you understand the basics of your design – your Type, Strategy, and Authority so you can see exactly how your energy moves, where it gets stuck, and what helps it stabilize.
You can find a link to it in the show notes at www.livefablife.com/330 for Episode 330.
There’s just one more episode left for the year and a special one to kick off the year. I’ll be sharing some important updates – that’s all good - so don’t miss them!
Thank you so much for listening and remember: you don’t need more consistency, you need a rhythm that fits YOU, no one else but you!
Take care and I’ll see you next time - bye for now!
Naomi Nakamura is a Health x Human Design coach who’s creating a healthier society through aligned energy.
She blends a bespoke mix of Functional Nutrition and Human Design to help others shift into alignment to leverage and correctly manage their energy to support their body, mind, and spirit.
She believes that when we embrace our authenticity and lean into our bio-individuality, we naturally live a life of freedom, empowerment, and optimal health.
Naomi resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and can often be found exploring the area with her puppy girl, Coco Pop!
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