The Three Ways We All Crash and Burn
I’ve watched this happen to countless friends, colleagues, and myself more times than I care to admit. We start strong, full of optimism and grand plans, then reality delivers one of its signature gut punches:
The Spectacular Collapse
You’ve abandoned your morning routine, your meditation streak is dead, and that gym membership is now an expensive reminder of your broken promises. The guilt follows you around like a persistent shadow.
The Slow Fade
You’re still going through the motions, but the spark is gone. You’re checking boxes without caring about the outcome. It’s autopilot masquerading as progress, and you can feel the crash coming.
The Life Curveball
New job, relationship change, moving cities. Your carefully constructed habits just got bulldozed by circumstances beyond your control. What worked in your old life doesn’t fit this new reality.
Here’s what I’ve learned: these moments aren’t failures… they’re invitations. Your brain is actually wired to embrace fresh starts. Scientists call it the fresh-start effect, and it’s why January 1st feels different from December 31st, even though it’s just another Tuesday.
The question isn’t whether you’ll need a reset. The question is whether you’ll recognise the moment and have a plan ready.
R.E.S.E.T. – A Simple System That Actually Works
I’ve tried countless approaches to getting back on track. Most were overcomplicated nonsense that required more willpower than I had left. This isn’t that.
Total investment: 10-15 minutes Required equipment: paper and pen Zero pixels allowed: your phone is the enemy combatant.
The R.E.S.E.T. Framework
| Letter | Step | What to Do | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | Reality Check | Brain-dump everything you’re ignoring, botching, or resenting. No filter. | Naming the gremlins drags them out of the shadows; avoidance loses its edge. |
| E | Examine Motive | Next to each item, jot why it tanked: boring, outdated goal, external pressure, sheer fatigue? | You can’t fix what you mis-diagnose. |
| S | Select Three | Circle any 3 habits that still matter or spark genuine curiosity. | Scarcity focuses the mind; three is just enough to feel progress without panic. |
| E | Easy Win Now | Define the minimum viable action (MVA) for each. If the dream is a 5 km run, today’s MVA is “lace shoes and walk one block.” | Tiny first steps hijack momentum. |
| T | Tie-down & Track | Write when & where for each MVA. | Specificity turns intention into action. |
When Things Go Sideways (They Will)
Let me be brutally honest: you’re going to mess this up. Here’s your emergency protocol:
Can’t Bring Yourself to Start?
Leave the notebook somewhere you’ll trip over it. On your pillow, next to your coffee maker, taped to your bathroom mirror. Make it harder to avoid than to address.
Missed Your Tiny Action?
Cut it in half. Can’t do ten push-ups? Do five. Can’t do five? Do two. Zero is the only number that’s banned.
Missed Two Days in a Row?
Emergency protocol: run the entire R.E.S.E.T. process again that evening. No drama, no self-flagellation—just data collection and course correction.
Why This Works When Other Systems Don’t
Most productivity advice assumes you’re operating at full capacity with unlimited motivation. R.E.S.E.T. assumes you’re human—tired, overwhelmed, and probably a little skeptical that anything will actually work this time.
It works because it respects where you are instead of demanding you be somewhere else first. It gives you permission to start small instead of insisting you start perfect.
The science backs this up. Behavioral researchers have found that major life changes create “unfrozen” moments where new habits form more easily. But you have to act during the window, not wait for conditions to be ideal.
Your Next Move
You know that feeling when you read something that makes perfect sense, nod along enthusiastically, then promptly forget about it? Don’t do that here.
Get a piece of paper right now. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Work through R.E.S.E.T. before you move on to the next thing demanding your attention.
Your future self—the one who’s actually following through on what matters—is waiting for you to begin.
The only difference between the person stuck in the productivity graveyard and the person moving forward consistently is this: one of them stopped making excuses and started making choices.
Which one will you be?