[2023-03-31] Seize what's left of the day

So you've had a bad morning. Someone cut you off in traffic. You were late for a meeting with your boss. You didn't get as much done as you had planned.

A bad morning doesn't have to be a bad day. An annoying moment in traffic doesn't have to be a horrible drive. A late arrival for a meeting with your boss doesn't have to be an unforgivable mistake. An unproductive morning doesn't have to be an unproductive day.

Don't throw out the entire carton of milk because you've spilled some. Don't throw out a pair of socks because one has a hole in it. Don't throw away a day because a part of it wasn't what you had hoped it would be.

Always try to get over failure quickly. Learn from it. Study how you contributed to it. If you are responsible for it, own up to it. Though others may have greater responsibility for it than you do, don't look for that as an escape hatch. Once you have analyzed what went wrong and what you did wrong, internalize the lessons and then move on. As always, drive through life looking through the front windshield and not the rearview mirror.
— Colin Powell

According to a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, missing any single day of a particular habit has no impact on your long-term ability to stick to the habit. It doesn't matter when it occurs, making a mistake and slipping up does not alter the long-term outcome… if you find a way to get back on track.... What separates the elite performers from everyone else? Not perfection, but consistency. This is why the most important thing is not to prevent mistakes altogether, but to avoid making a mistake twice in a row. Errors are part of the process, but they shouldn't become part of the pattern.
— James Clear

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
— Mary Pickford

You can't control your past. But you can take actions to shape your future. If you weren't able to seize the day, seize what's left of the day. Put your shoes on and get out the door. Do one thing you were putting off. Take an action that aligns with the identity you're aspiring to have.