Solve consistency by finding a person (an assistant, an accountability partner, a cohort) instead of another method.
The idea
Consistency got the first letter in CAPITAL for a reason. We'd see bursts of commitment around New Year's, then dwindling effort. We tried everything: time blocking, distraction management, habit loops. Important tasks still got overshadowed by urgent ones. The one idea that reshaped how I work came from the book Who Not How. When you're stuck, stop hunting for a better how. Find a who. You might work for yourself, but you don't have to do it all alone.
How to do it
Name the relationship task you keep failing to do consistently.
Pick the who that fits your budget: an assistant, a coach, a peer partner, a co-working session, a guided group.
Give them one question to ask you on a schedule.
Turn your solo calendar block into a recurring meeting with them.
Example
Three times a week my executive assistant asks me: "Who have you met recently? What's our next move?" For three years an accountability coach asked me every Friday whether I'd updated my CRM and made a new connection. For random tasks I use Flow Club (full disclosure: I'm an investor). For better or worse, you'll let yourself down a hundred times over before you'd ever let someone else down.
Watch out for
Letting cost stop you. Weigh what a nurtured relationship is worth against a modest monthly investment.
Handing off the relationship itself. The who keeps you consistent. You still show up.
Accountability Partners: Turn your solo networking block into a recurring session with one or two people doing the same work, because you'll keep promises to them.
The Engagement Manager: Dictate a 30-second outline after each meeting, have an assistant draft the follow-up, and spend a few minutes at day's end reviewing and sending.
You Are the Weakest Link: Like pilot error in most airline accidents, relationship systems usually fail at the human, not the tool. Design your habits around that.
CAPITAL: Consistent Execution: The most important letter in CAPITAL: build the habit, schedule the work and restart after slips, because relationships pay off over years.