Life Happened: How I Lost My Walking Streak (And Why That’s Actually Fine)

I haven’t been great the last three weeks.

There. I said it.

The walking habit I’d built? The one I’d been so consistent with? Gone a bit wobbly, severe women’s pains doctors visits and then I got chilblains from walking in the cold painful, itchy toes that made every step feel like punishment. And suddenly my solid routine went straight out the window.

Old me would’ve spiraled. Called myself a failure. Decided that since I’d already “ruined” my streak, I might as well give up entirely.

But here’s what I did instead: I had a rest. And today, I got back up again.

Because life happens. And that’s okay.

The Myth of the Perfect Streak

We’ve been sold this lie that transformation looks like an unbroken chain of perfect days. You see it everywhere those habit-tracking apps with their satisfying rows of green checkmarks, the fitness influencers boasting about their “365-day streak,” the productivity gurus who haven’t “missed a day in 4 years.”

And sure, consistency matters. I’ve written about the Non-Negotiable Method. I stand by it.

But there’s a difference between planned consistency and toxic perfectionism.

Planned consistency means: “I walk every day unless there’s a genuine reason not to.”

Toxic perfectionism means: “If I miss one day, I’ve failed, so why bother continuing?”

See the difference?

The first one allows for life. The second one sets you up for self-sabotage.

When Mr. Critic Shows Up After a Break

Let me introduce you to an old friend: Mr. Critic. He’s that voice in your head the one that pipes up the moment you slip.

For me, he sounded like this:

“Well, you’ve already broken your streak. Three weeks of slacking off. Might as well admit you can’t stick to anything.”

“Those chilblains? That’s your body telling you you’re not cut out for this.”

“Everyone else manages to keep going. What’s wrong with you?”

Mr. Critic isn’t trying to help. He’s trying to protect you from disappointment by convincing you to quit before you fail.

But here’s the thing: I haven’t failed. I just paused.

The Difference Between a Break and a Breakdown

A break is when you step back intentionally (or life forces you to) and then return.

A breakdown is when you spiral, give up, and never come back.

I used to confuse the two. If I missed a workout or skipped a walk, my brain immediately jumped to: “This is it. You’re done. You’ve proven you’re not disciplined.”

But that’s not how habit-building actually works.

Real progress isn’t a straight line. It’s a messy zigzag with pauses, stumbles, and restarts. The people who succeed long-term aren’t the ones who never mess up they’re the ones who come back after they do.

My chilblains forced a pause. The universe handed me a rest. And instead of fighting it, I took it.

And now? I’m back.

How to Get Back Up (Without the Drama)

Here’s what I didn’t do:

❌ Beat myself up for “failing”
❌ Start over with a massive, unsustainable plan to “make up for lost time”
❌ Wait until Monday to restart (because why do we do that?)

Here’s what I did do:

✅ Acknowledged what happened: I wasn’t great. I got chilblains. I rested. End of story.
✅ Reminded myself of the bigger picture: Three weeks off doesn’t erase months of consistency.
✅ Started small: I didn’t try to jump back into my full routine. I just… walked today. That’s it.

That’s the key. You don’t need to start big. You just need to start.

The Anti-Perfectionist Comeback Strategy

If you’re reading this because you’ve also fallen off your habit wagon, here’s your permission slip to climb back on:

1. Drop the guilt

It doesn’t serve you. Seriously. All it does is make restarting feel harder.

Guilt says: “You screwed up, so you need to suffer before you’re allowed to try again.”

Nope. You’re allowed to just… try again. Right now.

2. Start ridiculously small

Don’t try to make up for lost time. Don’t overcorrect.

If you’ve been off your walking routine for weeks, don’t decide you need to walk 10k steps today. Walk for 10 minutes. Or 5. Or just put your shoes on and step outside.

The goal is to rebuild momentum, not punish yourself back into shape.

3. Talk back to Mr. Critic

When that voice says, “You already failed, why bother?” say this:

“Thanks for the concern, Mr. Critic. We’re doing it anyway.”

You don’t have to believe you’ll succeed. You just have to not let him win.

4. Remember: You’re still in the game

This is the most important part.

As long as you’re willing to start again, you haven’t quit. A pause isn’t a failure. It’s just… a pause.

Why I’m Telling You This

I could’ve written this post after I’d already rebuilt my streak. After I’d “proven” I was back on track. After I had something impressive to report.

But that would’ve been a lie by omission.

Because the truth is messier. The truth is that building habits those real, sustainable habits involves falling off, resting, and climbing back up again. And again. And again.

The people you think “have it all together”? They don’t. They just keep getting back up.

And so today, I got back up.

My toes are still a bit tender, my ovaries are flaming sore. My routine isn’t perfect. But I walked. And tomorrow, I’ll walk again.

Not because I’m flawless. Not because I never mess up.

But because life happened, and that’s okay.

Your Turn

If you’ve fallen off your own habit wagon lately whether it’s walking, eating better, journaling, whatever—this is your sign.

You don’t need to wait until Monday. You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need to earn your way back through guilt.

You just need to do one small thing. Today.

And if Mr. Critic shows up to tell you it doesn’t count? Smile. Thank him for his concern.

And do it anyway.

What habit are you climbing back onto today? Drop a comment below I’d love to hear your story.
As always Im here if you need any support – Kel x

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Kel

Kel is the writer behind Everyday Mastery, where she shares the real, messy, and meaningful process of building habits, resilience, and self-belief from the ground up. Her writing blends ancient philosophy with modern science, always focused on small, practical steps that lead to lasting