DO. THE. REPS.
This phrase has been permeating many parts of my life lately.
Lately, three words have been echoing through every part of my life:
Do. The. Reps.
My business coach says it to me every time we meet these days. If I want to build a company and personal brand that’s fulfilling and aligned with my values, I have to keep showing up. I have to commit to the long game because helping others achieve career and personal growth is the work I love to do. And, as lame as it sounds to my inner spontaneous self, I need to be annoyingly habitual about the things that are going to make my life amazing.
So I keep posting, going to the gym, and staying curious. I keep sharing my leadership & career tips and stories even when I think surely people must be bored by now, even when I am not sure anyone is paying attention!
Because I know that I can’t make the positive impact on the world that I want to leave unless I keep doing the reps.
This theme has also been coming up for my clients in my coaching sessions too. The challenge is often the same:
How do I keep showing up consistently as a Leader?
How do I stay visible without burning out?
How do I keep advocating for myself even when it feels awkward?
My answer, again and again, is: Do. The. Reps. Your leadership wants to see sustained performance, not just periodic brilliance.
To really stand out, you need to build habits that help you communicate clearly and consistently with your leadership and teams. Create habits that make sharing your wins feel natural, not forced. Habits that align with your values and move you toward the life and career you actually want.
Because having clarity on your "WHY" isn’t enough. You need rituals, routines, and repetition to bring it to life.
Believing in yourself takes reps.
Getting over imposter syndrome takes reps.
Becoming known for something, really known, takes way more reps than most people expect.
This concept is also seeping into my personal life too. I recently made a lifestyle change that required a rewiring of my own habits. I joined a gym and committed to going every weekday morning at 6AM. For years, I would say, “I can’t work out in the morning”. But, I realised that it was too easy for me to make an excuse not to go to the gym in the evening and it was taking away from my family quality time. So here I am, even to the great surprise to my husband, getting up before anyone in the house to go do my reps.
What I didn’t realise at the time when I started this gym journey is that I was subconsciously implementing James Clear’s Atomic Habits framework. I just started stacking little things: putting my gym clothes out the night before, booking my classes for the week so I couldn’t back out, creating a sequenced “get ready” routine that last no more than 7 mins. Tiny adjustments that make it easier to get up and go.
Now I’m nearly 90 days in! And the wildest part? It’s actually hard for me to remember why I struggled for so long to get up at dawn and work out.
The Coaches at my gym are also constantly talking to me about reps too! But not just volume, quality reps done consistently over time. They’ll say, “Don’t worry about how much weight you’re lifting. Focus on your form, your rhythm, your breath. Get the movement right first.” And over time, those micro-adjustments compound into strength.
This is the same for the habits you create in your job. Building muscle memory for preparing well for something like a Weekly Business Review takes time and a lot of repetition to master. But, you can’t just start repeating things blindly without these steps:
Identify why you need to do the task in the first place (Hint: do not overthink this step), then just do the dang thing!
Evaluate the outcome, identify what small tweaks need to be made (if any), and repeat. I call this the “Reps Infinite Loop.”
Do you ever hear a soundbite on a TikTok or Insta reel that you just need to know where it came from? Well, this week I scrolled my way around and found a clip from Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED Talk that I am sure many of you have heard of. I probably watched this at least 20 times now. I even made my 10-year old daughter watch it with me (to hopefully inspire less whining…let’s see). Angela explains:
“The #1 predictor of success is GRIT. Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals.
Grit is stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day in and day out.
Not just for the week, not for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality.Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.”
In other words: Do. The. Reps.
If you want to achieve your version of success — whether that’s in your job, your business, your leadership, or your life, you need to persevere. You need to keep showing up and embrace the repetition.
An SVP at Amazon told me once: “by the time you feel like your efforts are repetitive or boring, that’s when other people finally start to notice. That’s when your reputation starts to form. That’s when the momentum kicks in.”
So if there’s anything I want you to take from this, it’s two things:
First, a great coach can help you envision your goals. They can bring clarity to your purpose, give you frameworks to anchor to, pressure-test your ambition, and hold you accountable to the future you want to create. They’ll challenge you, support you, and keep raising the bar.
Second, and this is the most important part, you have to do the work.
Not for a day. Not for a week. Not even for a quarter.
For years.
Do. The. Reps.
How to Put This In Action:
If this concept resonates, here’s how to start doing the reps in your own leadership journey:
Pick one area to focus on. Is it advocating for yourself more? Delegating better? Building trust with your team? Don’t try to overhaul everything, start small.
Define your "rep." What’s the repeatable action that will move the needle? For example:
– Share one weekly win with your manager
– Set-up coffee chats with leaders in your network 1x / week
– Post on LinkedIn or your inter-company Slack channel once a week to grow your thought leadershipMake it ridiculously easy. Reduce friction. Stack it onto something you’re already doing, like sending your weekly metrics update or attending a 1:1.
Track it. Keep the thing(s) that you want to repeat very visible. A sticky note on your laptop or fridge. Block out time in your calendar to execute the task. Remember that you are working towards consistency over perfection.
You won’t always get it right but the important thing is to keep going. And if you want someone in your corner to help you stay focused and keep showing up as your best, most intentional self, I’d love to help with either my Group Coaching or 1:1 Coaching. You don’t have to do the reps alone.
Brilliant and on point 💫🙌