A moment of honesty: I’ve always confused consistency with routine, and I have a lifelong aversion to routine. The idea that you eat a similar meal on the same day each week, always do your food shopping on Saturday mornings, or follow the same workout at the gym every day? Absolutely not. Even worse? The thought of doing the same tasks daily in business, like clockwork. No, thank you.
So when the late, great Michael Mosley (may he rest in peace) first proposed his Just One Thing concept encouraging us to adopt small, healthy habits, I braced for boredom. And yet, curiosity got the better of me. I started doing squats, push-ups and planks each morning, cleaning my teeth while balancing on one foot, and finishing showers with an icy blast. Over time, something shifted.
I’ve improved in every aspect of these micro-habits, squatting lower, planking longer, and pushing up with more strength than I ever imagined. But here’s the kicker: I don’t do them at exactly 7 a.m. I don’t have to leap out of bed and launch into a routine like a well-programmed robot. There’s flexibility. Some mornings it’s 6 a.m., others 9 a.m., or even lunchtime. But I do the actions. Consistently.
And that’s when it clicked.
I mistook consistency for routine
Like many people, I assumed consistency meant rigid repetition. The same thing, at the same time, over and over. That didn’t work for me. My lifestyle isn’t built that way, I travel often, my days are rarely identical, and the idea of being pinned to a predictable schedule gives me the heebie-jeebies.
But consistency, I’ve realised, isn’t about when or where it’s about what. It’s about showing up, not about checking boxes at the same time every day. And this distinction has been transformative.
I now run every other day. Not on a schedule, but with reliable intention. I get it done. The result? I’m stronger, healthier, and (hopefully) on track to age a little more gracefully.
So… What’s this got to do with franchising?
It might seem like a leap, but bear with me. This realisation about consistency versus routine also unlocked something huge in how I view franchising.
When people buy into a franchise model, they’re given (or should be!) a comprehensive operations manual. A playbook. It tells them what to do and how to do it—when to open shop, how to deliver the product or service, how to train staff, how to market. To many, it can seem like the epitome of routine. Predictable. Prescriptive. Inflexible.
But really, what it offers is consistency. And that’s a very different—and far more empowering—thing.
Consistency is the backbone of a great franchise
Let’s break this down.
Consistency builds trust
Customers come to a franchise because they know what to expect. Whether it’s a cup of coffee, a massage, or a repair job, they’re looking for a reliable experience. That doesn’t mean every franchise has to be identical to the minute detail. It means the quality, the process, and the brand promise are delivered consistently. Just like my morning habits—flexible, but dependable.
The Manual isn’t a straitjacket
The operations manual isn’t designed to crush creativity. It’s there to ensure the business delivers what it promises, every time. Within that, there’s room for local flavour, personality, innovation—even evolution. Much like I can choose whether to do push-ups in my living room or a hotel room, franchisees have space to adapt, as long as the outcomes stay solid.
Routine can be delegated
Here’s a liberating truth for fellow routine-phobes: You don’t have to love routine to run a successful franchise. You need to make sure the routine happens. That’s where hiring, training, and strong systems come in. The franchise structure ensures consistency—the business’s essential rhythms are happening, even if you’re not the one clocking every move.
A personal and professional alignment
So I’ve come to believe that consistency is a choice. It’s not a personality trait or a prison of routines. It’s a commitment to doing the right things regularly enough to produce results. It’s the reason my legs are stronger and my balance is better. And it’s the reason franchises grow faster, scale better, and serve customers with trust and reliability.
What once felt like constraints both in my personal life and in the idea of franchising now feel like support structures. The same habits I once dismissed as boring have become rituals of resilience. And the systems I feared would box me in? They’re actually freeing me.
Final thought
If you’re someone who rebels against routine, don’t write off consistency. And definitely don’t write off franchising. The structure isn’t there to stifle you it’s there to support your success. Like those squats and cold showers, the power is in the doing, not in the schedule.
