From Setback to Comeback: Getting Back On After Falling Off

Cassie Wilson
Sep 13
4 min read

We've all been there. One day you're crushing your workout goals, meal prepping is on point, and ticking off your to-do list with the supreme efficiency and confidence. Then suddenly—poof!—you find yourself stuck on the couch for hours at a time, spiralling while surrounded by chips and other snacks, feeling discouraged and directionless.

Listen, girl, I AM NO STRANGER TO FALLING OFF!

But here's the thing I've learned after years of this cycle: falling off isn't the problem, staying off is.

The Comeback is Always Stronger Than the Setback

First things first—let's normalize the fall. Everyone (yes, EVERYONE) experiences motivation dips, loses focus, or straight-up abandons their goals sometimes.

The difference between people who achieve their goals and those who don't is simply a matter of who gets back up.

Why We Fall Off...

Let's take a second to acknowledge what's really happening when we "fall off":

Your motivation can be running on empty (motivation is a finite resource!)
Your systems failed you (not the other way around)
Life threw curveballs that legitimately needed your attention
You're human, bound to have lapses in consistency

Once you stop beating yourself up, getting back on becomes 1000x easier. Promise.

The Comeback Plan

A Five-Minute Reset

When you feel overwhelmed by how far you've strayed from your path, commit to just five minutes. That's it.

Five minutes of exercise. Five minutes of writing. Five minutes of meal prep.

It's absolutely doable, and once you start, you'll often keep going. But even if you don't, you're at least back in the game.

Make It Easy

Sometimes, we fall off because our expectations are unrealistic for the current versions of ourselves. Instead of aiming to get back to your peak performance, lower the bar to a place that makes sense, knowing that it’s not going to stay there.

Want to restart your writing habit? Aim for one paragraph, not 1,000 words.

Getting back to healthy eating? Focus on meal prepping one meal per day.

Meditation? Start with just 60 seconds and see where it takes you.

Make The "Good Decision" the EASY Decision

Decision fatigue is the silent killer of good intentions. Each decision depletes us, making it more difficult to make good choices later on in the day.*

Some practical hacks:

Lay out your workout clothes the night before (or even sleep in them - do you!)
Prep your workspace before ending each day so you can dive right in tomorrow
Use app blockers or time limits during your designated focus time
Habit stack
Set calendar appointments with yourself that are as non-negotiable as client meetings
Create routines, systems, and patterns that help get you in the zone - I have specific playlists for different activities, weekly menus, chosen days for creative writing... you get the drift

Talk About It. Then, Be About It.

Nothing makes a commitment more real than saying it out loud to another human being. Text a friend. Post it on social media. Tell your mom. Whisper it to your cat. I don’t care!

Simply verbalizing your intention creates accountability and makes it more likely you'll follow through. If you don't have an accountability partner in mind, become your own partner. Schedule emails to yourself to check in, record voicenotes that you listen back to, write things down and reflect back.

Celebrate Every Win

Our brains are wired to respond to rewards. Celebrate your wins - a check mark, an overpriced coffee, a pizza from Pizza Hut, a vacation!

The celebration doesn't need to be elaborate, it just needs to trigger your brain's reward center to associate good feelings with getting back on track.

Create Failure-Proof Environments

Your surroundings either make success easier or harder—there's no neutral space.

If you're trying to eat healthier, do not bring chips and chocolate into your house. Do you like struggle???

If you're trying to scroll less, keeping your phone by your bed is asking for morning TikTok binges.**

Do It Badly

Perfection is the enemy of progress (and consistency). Give yourself permission to do it badly, especially when getting back on track.

A messy workout is better than no workout. A rushed journal entry is better than an empty page. An imperfect meal prep is better than another takeout order (depending on how you look at it, lol).

The Secret Sauce: Self-Compassion

It took me years to learn how to let go of the harsh self-criticism. I truly was my biggest enemy/bully at one point, holding myself to extreme standards. Talking down to yourself doesn't motivate better behaviour.

Treating yourself with the same kindness you'd show a friend makes it way easier to try again after a setback.

YOUR Comeback Challenge:

What's one habit or goal you've fallen off with recently? Commit to a ridiculously small restart step in the comments below!

Remember: The comeback is always available to you. Not just on Mondays. Not just on the 1st of the month. Not just in the New Year.

Right now. This moment. Five minutes.

* I can’t be the only one who can eat healthy for the entire day and then 9pm hits and I want EVERYTHING that’s in my snack drawer

** I have a general rule for myself that my phone isn't allowed IN my bed. If I'm answering a text or scrolling, I'll literally stand up beside my bed until I'm done. I'm not always super good with this rule - just when I find myself doing too much of the bed-scrolling