I’ve written at length about the importance of streaks; of creating and maintaining them as an aid in getting things done. For the last 5 months, I’ve had three streaks going:
- daily writing
- daily videos
- daily exercise.
Saturday, I wrenched my back and all three of those streaks came to an end. I’ve had a three day gap since I wrote or made a video.
It takes me back to the origins of this little blog, as a posture and back pain blogger. Something that used to happen was I would have a little “click” in my back, and be in for a lot of pain.
That happened again this weekend, and I spent three days prone, waiting for the inflammation and pain to subside.
And, yes, it was so bad I chose to let my daily publishing streak go.
I knew it would bother me, that it would take more effort to start a new daily streak than it would to maintain the existing one, but I was in too much pain.
I knew that pushing through the pain to write, record, edit and publish would extend the recovery period, so I chose to let the streaks go to save pain, and in the belief I would be able to restart after the pain subsided to manageable levels.
It was harder to accept the need to forego the streak, and harder yet to forgive myself, than it was to sit down today to write again. To start up the new streak.
But there is a lesson in there; sometimes you can’t fulfil an obligation, and you need to learn to forgive yourself.
Then you can move on, and begin again.
