[Reedx]

Sorry to hear that. Please take care.

And that's an important point about regression. For me good habits tend to break after about 2 weeks of non-compliance. Then it often ends up being months or even years before getting back on track. At which point it's like starting over.

[gfodor]

I think the thing is though, its ok. Know that you're going to get off track, but also that it's possible to get back on track. In fact, commit to always getting back on track. I just had my second son. At the time I was hitting my squat goal, and stronger than I'd ever been. I was basically in the same place before my first son. After each kid, I regressed. You can't lift heavy weight during massive sleep fragmentation, nor is it smart to try when you need to be free from injury: that kid isn't going to rock himself to sleep at night!

But the fact I got back to where I was the second time taught me you can get it all back with enough work. You still have to do it, of course, but you should only regret losing progress if you fail to get back on track when life is telling you it's time to. But don't regret the fact that life can, and will, push you off the track now and then. Embrace it, accept it, and get yourself prepared to build it back up again.

The worst thing you can do is fall off track (which will happen) and then think because of that it's not worth starting over again. Or that what you accomplished wasn't worth it because you lost it. Or that it was a one time gift, that you failed to keep. The gift is the fact that you now know you can do it, and so can do it again.

Having the recognition that it is a cycle and you have the means and the will to correct it out of the trough is the only way to really ensure life long habits. It's easier to maintain than to build, of course, but don't feel like rebuilding is totally avoidable, and that it's a failure to have to do so when life gets in the way.

[somestag]

Agreed. And to add, rebuilding is usually a faster and smoother process than building the first time, which I've found to be true for both physical and mental/emotional feats. It's very rare that all that "wasted" time and effort is truly wasted.