The Calm app impressed me this weekend when I broke my streak.
I posted recently about my 90 day meditation streak. Last weekend, I missed my meditation on Saturday, which I realized Sunday. Part of my OCD is an obsession for streaks, so when I found that I blew my 90+ day streak, I felt my stomach drop out of my body.
Part of me wanted to not even meditate on Sunday. “What was the point? I already blew it,” my mind tried to convince me. My wife pointed out that I still had the advantage of everything I learned in those 94 days—I did not lose that by breaking the streak.
Almost out of necessity, I took a few minutes out to meditate. When I finished, I expected the app to say something that would feel shaming because I had failed. I was pleasantly surprised to find positive encouragement instead.
Rather than seeing that I now had a streak of one day, I saw that I had 95 mindful days.
That simple choice by a product manager or designer on the Calm app team made a significant difference for me. It was a needed emotional boost on a difficult day. Whereas I had been nearly despondent at losing my streak, I became encouraged. I was reminded how much I had accomplished and not allowed to wallow in my disappointment.
This is a lesson I hope to remember. Whether for myself or others, I want to emphasize what truly matters.