“I’ll start over Monday” writes off every remaining day. Research on the “what-the-hell effect” shows one slip often triggers extended abandonment. Nothing magical happens on Monday. The best time to return to your intentions is immediately after a slip—the same meal, the same hour. The path forward is always from wherever you currently are, not from an imaginary clean slate. Don’t start over. Just continue.
This companion covers the Monday mythology, the real cost, and the continue-instead approach. (4 min read)