It happened (or didn’t happen, I should say) yesterday: I missed writing a post for the first time in 82 days. I realized it this morning when I awoke and was still laying in bed. “Maybe I can just get up real quickly and write a quick post and call it good.” Sure, I could have done that, but I’d just be cheating myself, and not really keeping my streak alive. So, I just accepted it and moved on.
There are two things to take note of here. First, I wrote every day for 82 days. For me, that’s a *huge* deal. Before this streak, I hadn’t even written for eight days period. Second, I just missed one day. Those previous 82 days of writing were still there. It’s not like they disappeared because I missed a day.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear notes that you should “never miss twice.” Missing once is ok. If you miss a second time, you’re now starting to create a new habit (and not one you really want.) So, here’s me not missing today.