Some days, you wake up ready to take on the world. Your schedule is set, your training is going to make a difference, and senior management is fully behind you. Then there are the other days, when motivation is nowhere to be found and just getting out the cabin door feels like a negotiation.
Reality sets in: you’re working for a cruise line that reacts to public health problems instead of preventing them. Last week’s VSP inspection didn’t go well. Management has left you feeling like you’re not doing enough, even though you haven’t stopped moving in weeks.
For cruise ship Public Health Officers, motivation is nice to have but it’s deeply unreliable. It doesn’t show up when you’re managing an AGE outbreak on back-to-back cruises. It’s missing when you’re chasing the same spare parts for critical food service equipment that’s been out of order for months. And it’s certainly not there when someone says, “We didn’t know your inspection was today,” despite being reminded four times.
Motivation might carry you through a training session, but it’s consistency that carries you through a contract. Success in public health depends far less on how inspired you feel and far more on what you do. It’s not about being the most talented or the smartest PHO. Sometimes it’s not even about working the hardest. Often, it’s simply about showing up again and again.
Why Consistency Works (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)
Motivation is emotional. It can spike after positive feedback or a good inspection score, but it fades just as fast. Consistency, on the other hand, is behavioural. It’s what turns good intentions into repeatable action.
Psychologists refer to this as the difference between state motivation (how you feel in the moment) and trait-like habits (what you do regardless of how you feel). Research shows that people who succeed over the long term don’t necessarily feel more motivated than others. They’ve simply built mechanisms that reduce their reliance on motivation. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
This is especially relevant for PHOs on cruise ships. Your environment is far from predictable. You’re working with rotating crews, uneven buy-in, and the occasional curveball like a surprise buffet setup on the pool deck no one told you about. If your progress depends on feeling ready, you’re going to struggle.
But when you build consistent routines, the friction starts to disappear. Your actions become automatic. You spend less time deciding what to do and more time doing it well.
Consistency also allows for compounding gains, a concept drawn from both psychology and performance science. Small, repeatable actions—such as reviewing disease surveillance records regularly to catch trends—do more than prevent problems. They shape a shipboard culture of public health. You may not see immediate results, but over time these habits lead to real, lasting change.
And unlike motivation, which tends to come and go, consistency remains. It’s there when you’re tired. It’s there when the crew changes. It’s there when shoreside sends conflicting guidance at 4:59 p.m. on a Friday.
What Consistency Looks Like (In Reality)
For PHOs, consistency is not about perfection. It’s about being predictable in a way that builds trust, increases cooperation, and makes your job more manageable.
It means making walkthroughs part of your daily routine, and not just in the food areas. It means reviewing logs on every voyage, not only before inspections. It means holding debriefs after near misses, even when everyone is short on time. And yes, it means repeating the same messages over and over, because public health depends less on what’s been said and more on what’s been retained.
Consistency also shapes how others see you. When crew members watch you follow through with senior management and hold the line—especially when it would be easier not to—they’re more likely to do the same. Over time, you’re seen not just as “the inspector,” but as someone they can rely on. That credibility is valuable, especially when you need their cooperation.
Just as importantly, consistency helps keep you grounded. The role of a PHO can feel isolating, particularly when you’re pushing for higher standards in a culture that still accepts the bare minimum. A personal structure becomes your anchor. It gives you something steady to return to, no matter what’s going on around you.
This isn’t about being robotic or rigid. It’s about having a clear set of priorities that helps you take action before stress, frustration, or disorganization can derail your efforts.
How to Build Consistency (Without Burning Out)
Consistency doesn’t require doing everything every day. It requires identifying the right actions and doing them often enough so that they become part of your natural rhythm, even when energy levels are low at the end of a long contract.
Here are a few strategies PHOs can utilize to make consistency sustainable:
- Create Daily Anchors
Choose one or two non-negotiable actions. These might include an early morning galley walkthrough or a post-lunch check of chlorine and pH levels in the pools. Anchoring specific tasks to a time or routine makes them easier to maintain. - Use Systems Instead of Willpower
Checklists, templates, and recurring reminders help reduce decision fatigue. The less effort it takes to remember what needs doing, the more focus you can give to doing it well. - Track Small Wins
Not all success is dramatic. Noticing fewer critical findings or finally seeing the galley label thawing prawns without being prompted, are wins worth noting. Over time, they remind you that your approach is working. - Don’t Let the Perfect Disrupt the Good
If you miss something that the pest control contractor points out or forget to spot-check a warewashing machine, don’t let it throw you off. Consistency isn’t about keeping a perfect streak. It’s about your ability to return to your baseline, without guilt or overreaction. - Set Boundaries to Protect Your Energy
Being consistent also requires protecting time for key tasks. If you’re constantly available, your priorities will constantly be interrupted. Block time when possible and defend it calmly but firmly. People respect what you make time for, so make time for what matters.
Consistency Is Your Quiet Superpower
Motivation feels good, but it’s a fair-weather friend. Consistency is what keeps public health standards high when you’re short on power and morale is running low.
It doesn’t always feel exciting. Sometimes it looks like repeating yourself for the hundredth time or correcting yet another log that just says “OK.” But those steady actions build trust. They strengthen systems. They protect passengers and support crew. And they help you grow into a more confident, more effective PHO.
So the next time motivation doesn’t show up, don’t worry. You don’t need it. What you need is a rhythm, a structure, and the resolve to keep showing up.
Even when no one says, “Good job.” (Because how often does that happen, right?)