The Practice of Returning: How to Come Back After You've Drifted
It’s late January now.
Three weeks ago, you felt that spark. That “this year will be different” energy. You made your “I Am Becoming” statement. You started the morning sequence. Maybe you even called someone.
But now? The spark is quieter.
You missed a few days of your morning movements. You didn’t call anyone last week. That fresh start feeling—the one that made everything seem possible—it’s fading.
And you’re starting to think: Here we go again. Another thing I couldn’t stick with.
Stop right there.
Earlier this month, someone on Substack shared a metaphor that deeply resonated with me. They talked about how your GPS works when you miss a turn.
The GPS doesn’t scold you. It doesn’t say “You failed! Start over from the beginning!” It doesn’t even comment on the mistake.
It just says, calmly: “Recalculating route.”
And then it guides you from where you actually are, not from where you were supposed to be.
That’s what this week is about. Not starting over. Not beating yourself up. Just reconnecting with your intentions and readjusting from where you actually are.
The past three weeks, we’ve been building a foundation. Week one: the mind—shifting from goals to gentle intentions. Week two: the body—a 5-minute morning reset. Week three: relationships—the one-call promise.
Maybe you chose all three. Maybe you chose one. Maybe you chose something completely different—daily gratitude, better sleep, learning something new, spending more time outdoors.
Whatever you chose, this week is about bringing it together. Not by doing more. By learning how to return when you drift off course.
Because you will drift. Everyone does. The question isn’t whether you’ll get off track. It’s what you’ll do when you notice.
Why Late January Matters
Remember the annual review? James Clear’s words: “Make time to think. Walk outside. Sit quietly. Create space. Then move again, but this time on purpose.”
January is the “create space” part. January is reflection and fresh starts and new possibilities.
Late January—right now—is the “move again, but this time on purpose” part.
This is where you find out if you’ve built something that can withstand normal life. Not perfect life. Normal life. The kind with interruptions and bad days and weeks where you forget everything you intended.
Gym memberships spike in early January, then crash by the end of the month. Most New Year’s resolutions are abandoned before February even begins.
Why? Because people mistake motivation for a permanent state. They think the January spark will burn forever.
But motivation is just that—a spark. It gets you started. But sparks burn out.
What you need isn’t more motivation. It’s something we’ve been building these past three weeks: a system so gentle, so sustainable that you can return to it even when the spark is gone.
Not because you’re forcing yourself. Because this is who you are now. Someone who returns. Someone who readjusts without shame.
What You’ll Learn Below the Paywall
In the premium section, I’m bringing together everything from the past three weeks and showing you how to make it last:
✅ The Late-January Check-In – How to assess what's working without judgment
✅ The Return Practice – What to do when you've missed days or weeks
✅ The Three Outcomes – Where you might be and what to do next
✅ What Actually Stuck? – Identifying which intentions fit who you are
✅ Your Sustainable Rhythm – Building habits that last beyond January