I&#x27;ve found that creating an exception list beforehand is a great way to survive &quot;breaking the chain&quot;, as then it&#x27;s not really breaking the chain.<p>For years I tried to keep a chain of exercising every day. It would work wonderfully for 8 months or so, and then inevitably every summer the chain would break when I was up for several days partying. Then I would start thinking &quot;what&#x27;s another skipped day&quot; and end up with months of no exercise. After a few cycles of this, I redefined my chain as exercising every time I wake up. This works nicely for me, because my primary reason for initial breaking was that I was exhausted. I&#x27;ve managed to keep this new chain unbroken for years.