4 Accountability Hacks to Stay Consistent After College Sports

In this Former Athlete Society Accountability Call, I share 4 tactical systems I personally use to stay dialed in—even with a full-time career, a family, and no team or coach keeping me accountable.

This isn’t fluff. These are real, practical habits and tools that former athletes like you can start using TODAY to regain that structure and discipline from your playing days—without feeling like you’re “on a program” 24/7.

Let’s call it like it is—staying disciplined after college athletics isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Back then, our calendars were packed with lifts, film, travel, and team meetings. Meals were prepped, recovery was structured, and someone was always keeping score—literally and metaphorically.

Now? It's just you. Your calendar. Your choices. And if you’re anything like the former athletes I talk to every week—you're still chasing that feeling of being locked in, focused, and consistent.

In this post, I want to break down four low-friction systems I use every single day to stay consistent—especially when life’s chaotic and the motivation isn’t showing up. These aren’t hypothetical ideas. They’re tools I actually use to stay sharp, strong, and stay ready.

✅ The Air Fryer Chicken System That Saved My Nutrition

You know what’s easier than hitting your protein goals? Not doing it.
Because let’s face it—when you’re tired, busy, or on the run, prepping lean protein is usually the first thing to fall off.

Enter the Air Fryer system. This one’s personal. I’ve been doing this since my days at Michigan State, and I still do it now as a coach, dad, and sport scientist.

Here's what it looks like:

• I buy bulk chicken breast—seriously, like 8–10 pounds at a time.
• I immediately divide it into 2- or 3-breast portions and vacuum seal or freezer bag them.
• From freezer → fridge → air fryer. That’s the cycle. Always rotating so there's something thawed and ready.
• When it’s time to eat, I toss it in the air fryer—parchment paper bag, some seasoning, 20 minutes. Done.

No more excuses about not having fresh protein. It’s clean, consistent, and scalable. Plus, it keeps you from defaulting to convenience junk when you’re tired at 8 p.m. and don’t feel like cooking.

If you’re struggling to eat clean, look at your friction points. This system removes one of the biggest ones.

✅ Rotating Your Audio Inputs to Avoid Mental Burnout

Here’s something most people never think about—audio fatigue is real.
When you listen to the same music over and over again, it loses its motivational punch. The neurological response dulls. It starts to feel like background noise.

And if you're an athlete, especially one that trained in team environments, you’re probably already burned out on the same hype playlists from years ago. (No offense, NBA YoungBoy.)

Here’s how I rotate mine:

• Heavy Lifting Days? Rage Against the Machine radio. Something primal and aggressive.
• Steady-State Indoor Rucking? Long-form YouTube podcasts. I’m letting ideas carry me through the miles.
• Outdoor Walks or Rucks? Audiobooks. Preferably nonfiction, personal development, or sport performance.
• In the Sauna? Meditation apps or guided breathwork—or sometimes, Netflix documentaries with subtitles.

I even created a personal rule: no listening to the audio unless I’m doing the activity it’s tied to.
That small constraint creates anticipation. It mentally bookmarks the routine.
And it subtly reinforces the habit because you associate the experience with the effort.

You’d be surprised how refreshing it feels to actually want to go lift again just to hear your favorite playlist.

✅ iOS Shortcuts for a Digital Gratitude Journal That Actually Gets Used

’ve journaled since 2010, but I’ve bounced around dozens of formats—from Moleskines to Five Minute Journals to freewriting.
Lately, I’ve landed on something that’s stuck—and it lives right on my iPhone.

Using iOS Shortcuts, I built a custom prompt system in the Apple Journal app.
Here’s how it works:

• In the morning, I hit one shortcut. It opens a journaling prompt with questions like:
  “What’s my intention today?”
  “What’s one thing I want to feel proud of by tonight?”
  “What do I want to protect my energy from?”
• In the afternoon, another shortcut pings me with:
  “Where did I drift today?”
  “What do I wish I handled better?”
  “What’s one thing I want to forgive myself for?”
• At night, I’ll check in again—quick reflection, 2–3 minutes max.

Because it’s native to iOS, it’s cloud synced, quick to launch, and integrated into my daily flow.
No more guilt about not carrying a physical journal. No more “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
Just fast, frictionless reflection—on my phone, in my pocket, wherever I go.

And you know what? It’s been huge for my mental clarity and sense of direction.
If you’re in your 30s and want to build something that scales with your lifestyle—this is it.

✅ The Straw, The Mug, and the Secret Weapon for Better Hydration

Last one, and it might sound small—but I promise it’s not.

I used to struggle with consistent hydration. I’d drink coffee all morning, get busy, forget to drink water, and then slam a bottle before bed. Not ideal.

Now, I keep two specific tools in my daily rotation:

1. 50oz Yeti Yonder – It’s light, durable, and huge. I fill this twice a day and sip all morning/afternoon.
2. Yeti Rambler w/ Straw Lid – Game changer. The straw makes water effortless. For some reason, I drink twice as much just because of how accessible it feels.

It’s not magic. It’s behavioral design.
The right tool makes the right habit easier.
If you’ve been inconsistent with water, stop blaming your willpower and look at your setup.

Also, small side note: hydration impacts more than performance. It influences your energy, hunger cues, recovery, sleep quality—and even mood.
If you’re feeling “off,” it might be your water game.

Final Thoughts: Build Your Own Systems

If there’s one thing I hope you take from this—it’s this idea: systems beat motivation.

You’re not lazy. You’re just running a life with zero structured inputs.
What kept you consistent in college wasn’t just your drive—it was the environment, the structure, the accountability.

You can build that again. But this time, you’re the architect.

Whether it’s an air fryer, a podcast playlist, an app shortcut, or a straw lid on a mug—it all counts.
Stack enough of these simple systems, and you start to feel that athlete momentum again.

Now go build it.