What a Bike Ride Taught Me About Consistency and Comparison

In May this year, I committed to a new gym membership with a heart full of hope that this time I would be consistent and transform it into a lifestyle.

The gym is about 10 minutes away by bike. Walking would take too long. So every day, I need to hop on my bike and cycle to the gym up a steep road. This challenges my consistency.

As I cycle, I see cars on both sides. The cycling zone is in the middle. It feels like I’m going so slowly compared to them. I feel the urge to push harder and increase my speed, but my legs can’t keep up. I get tired and frustrated. Eventually, I stop.

This was my experience in the first few weeks. I dreaded the trip to the gym.

Then, one day, I discovered something amazing.

I found that if I looked down at the bike’s front wheel, it appeared as if I was going really fast. This energised me. I felt like I was making progress without pushing harder and straining my legs.

When I looked up at the distance and saw the cars around me, panic set in. I felt like I was barely moving forward. But the truth is, I was.

There’s a huge lesson in this. If I focus solely on the bike’s wheel, on the next step, I feel confident and relaxed. I am moving, and it seems quite fast.

The moment I look into the distance or compare myself to others, I feel inadequate and like I’m making no progress.

But the truth is, I am making progress. I reach the gym every time, and I feel good about the road. I don’t need to stop, hurt, or scream in frustration.

Transforming how I approach this daily ride to the gym has allowed me to be consistent for two full months now and truly enjoy the process. I’m applying this mindset to other areas of my life as well.

Progress Feels Different When You Stop Comparing

Comparison can change your emotional state. When I focused on my bike’s front wheel, I felt calm and fast. I had proof I was moving. But the moment I looked at the cars around me, I felt like I was failing.

This is a cognitive and emotional reaction known as upward social comparison. Psychologist Leon Festinger coined the term back in 1954, and it’s still deeply relevant today, especially in the age of social media. A 2022 study in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking found that people who spend more time comparing themselves to others online report lower self-worth, more anxiety, and decreased motivation.

It’s not just mental. Constant comparison activates your nervous system’s stress response. The brain sees the gap between where you are and where others seem to be, reading that gap as a threat. This threat signal leads to urgency, frustration, and self-doubt.

If you’re trying to build consistency in any area—whether it’s fitness, business, or healing—don’t keep looking at other people’s pace. Anchor your focus on what’s immediately in front of you. Choose one metric that belongs to you: one rep, one email, one conversation, or one deep breath. Let that be your sign of progress.

Your Nervous System Doesn’t Trust Pressure

When I tried to match the speed of the cars, my legs burned out quickly. I’d tense up, lose energy, and want to stop. But when I looked down at the front wheel, my nervous system relaxed. It was the same effort, but it felt safe.

This illustrates the difference between force and regulation.

When you apply pressure without safety, your nervous system reacts as if you're under threat. The fight-or-flight system kicks in, even when you're just riding a bike or sitting at your desk. This is backed by Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. It shows that our nervous system constantly scans for cues of safety or danger. When it detects pressure, urgency, or judgment—even from ourselves—it prioritises survival over progress.

This is why consistency often fails when we associate action with stress.

Start noticing when your body tenses up around a habit or task. Is the pressure coming from urgency, perfectionism, or comparison? Soften your approach. Try “micro-shifts.” Reduce the pressure by doing something smaller, slower, or simpler. You’re not doing less; you’re creating conditions your body can say yes to again and again.

Capitalism Trained You to Move Faster Than You Need To

We live in a culture that glorifies urgency. Faster results. Bigger growth. More output. The moment we slow down, we feel guilty, lazy, or like we’re falling behind.

Capitalism depends on speed, constant improvement, and proving worth through productivity. This is why so many people feel they can’t rest, even when they’re burned out. The pressure to hustle comes from decades of messaging that tells you your value lies in how much you produce.

Authors like Jenny Odell (How to Do Nothing) and Tricia Hersey (Rest Is Resistance) have been vocal about this. They argue that slowing down is a form of protest. It’s a reclaiming of your body’s natural rhythm in a world that benefits from your exhaustion.

If you struggle to slow down, ask yourself: Who benefits when I rush? Who loses when I rest? Reframing slowness as a strategy, not a flaw, can help you choose it with more confidence.

Start by creating buffer space between tasks or scheduling “unproductive” time without guilt. Let your nervous system experience life beyond the grind.

Consistency Comes from Pacing, Not Pushing

Before the shift, I tried to push myself up the hill each day. It didn’t work. I’d burn out quickly and feel defeated. After the shift, I wasn’t pushing any harder, but I was pacing myself in a way that made the journey sustainable.

We often think consistency is about discipline. But discipline without pacing leads to collapse. True consistency is built when your effort feels manageable enough to repeat, over and over again.

James Clear writes in Atomic Habits that “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” But even the best system won’t work if your body feels unsafe inside it. That’s where pace matters.

If you want to build consistency, don’t start with intensity. Start with repeatability. What’s the version of this habit that feels light, safe, and doable today, even if it’s small? Trust that showing up with ease beats pushing through with resentment.

Build a Life Your Nervous System Can Trust

What started as a frustrating bike ride became a mirror. It showed me how I relate to pressure, how I compare, and how I rush. Everything feels different when I slow down just enough to feel safe.

Consistency comes from trust. Your nervous system needs to believe that you won’t abandon yourself the moment things get slow.

Conclusion: Embrace Your Journey

In conclusion, the journey to consistency is not about racing against others or pushing yourself to the limit. It’s about finding your own rhythm and trusting the process. By focusing on your immediate progress and allowing yourself to slow down, you can build a sustainable path to your goals.

Remember, every small step counts. Celebrate your victories, no matter how minor they may seem. Embrace the journey, and let it unfold at your own pace.

With this mindset, you can transform not just your gym routine but all areas of your life. Trust the process, and enjoy the ride.