Don't miss twice.
Practicing the subtle art of the fresh start.
The Mantra: Don't miss twice.
Two weeks ago, I didn’t send out a newsletter.
To be honest, it was a tough week. While my injury recovery has been relatively smooth - and I’m incredibly grateful for that - it’s still taken extra mental and physical energy to stay positive, adaptable, and committed to every piece of the process while sitting out so many World Cup events. At some point, the hours on the indoor trainer added up, the tough intervals wore me down, and I found myself exhausted by all I was doing and overwhelmed by the feeling that I should be doing more.
When I sat down to write, what came out was more like a sad little journal entry than a newsletter (trust me, I made my mom read it and she agreed). I tried a few times to rework it, but I could tell I was coming at it from the wrong headspace. What I really needed was a break… so I gave myself one. I skipped a week.
We all have moments like this - when, for one reason or another, we fall off track with something that matters to us. We set a goal, build a system, show up consistently… and then life happens. We miss a day. And once we do, it can feel like the whole thing starts to unravel.
As a young athlete, I really struggled with this. I obsessed over perfect execution and came unhinged when I couldn’t do what was on the plan. That kind of discipline has its upsides: it is part of what holds you accountable to show up even when it’s hard.
But it can also be a huge liability. Things rarely go perfectly especially when you are pushing your edge. And as an elite racer, I have learned that your the ability to manage the off days is a much more important skill than your ability to glide through the ones where things feel easy.
So this week, I’ve been reflecting on the mantra: “Don’t miss twice.”
Missing once? That’s normal. That’s life. But what happens next matters.
When we miss once, the temptation is to slip further - telling ourselves we’ve already broken the streak, so what’s one more day? But missing twice is how momentum gets lost. Missing twice is how something that was once a non-negotiable slowly gets dropped from your routine.
So instead of becoming a master at beating yourself up…
Become a master at beginning again.
Message: make sure you are headed in the right direction…
My mom sent me this lovely quote when discussing an important decision last week and it felt related.
While this applies more to things we DON’T want to keep doing - it is a great reminder of the role of momentum in multiplying the impact of our decisions.
If you are on the right train, make sure you stay on it. If you get off, get back on at the next opportunity.
If you suddenly realize you are on the wrong train, by all means get off immediately!
Note that in life there is no “standing still” option.
Musing: start with once in a row…
What habit or commitment have you recently let slip? Could you start again today?
Love the newsletters!
Direction is more important than speed!
Don't miss 2 consecutive days for any activity works wonders as consistency is superpower a lot less people realize.