Chapter 7 of 10All chapters
Chapter 7 of 10
Lapses
Expected, not fatal.
The evidence
Missing a single day has almost no effect on eventual automaticity. The damage comes from treating a lapse as failure and abandoning the attempt.
- Never miss twice is a sensible rule of thumb.
- Plan in advance for illness, travel and busy weeks.
All-or-nothing thinking
The belief that a broken streak ruins everything is the single most common reason people stop. A reduced version of the habit beats a pause.