What if I miss a day or fall behind?
Short answer
Skip it and pick up the next scheduled day. Don't double up: that is how people get hurt or give up. If you have lost more than a few days, revise the plan so it restarts from where you are.
Key points
- Carry on with the next day as written.
- Never cram missed sessions together.
- Lost more than a few days? Edit the plan.
One or two days
Consistency across weeks matters far more than a perfect record. Carry on with the plan as written.
More than a few days
Edit your plan: a fresh schedule is built from today and from where you actually are now, not from where the old plan expected you to be.
On an Adaptive Plan
Leave a note about what happened. The next part of the plan takes it into account.
Related questions
Does missing one day ruin a habit?
No. In the best-known study of habit formation, missing a single day did not materially affect how the habit developed. What matters is getting back to it at the next opportunity.
Read the full answerCan I change my plan after it is created?
Yes. Edit your goal, dates or answers and a fresh plan is built from where you are today. A Full Plan can be rebuilt up to 5 times; an Adaptive Plan within daily allowances.
Read the full answerYou had a bad week. Should you start over?
No need to start over. Pick the plan up from today, not from where you stopped, and ask what made the week hard. If you lost more than a few days, adjust the plan to where you are now.
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