{"id":393,"date":"2026-05-04T21:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/?p=393"},"modified":"2026-05-08T12:15:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T02:15:28","slug":"the-carry-forward-principle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Carry Forward Principle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I don\u2019t think I realised how much energy I was wasting starting over every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not physically. Mentally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every morning had this quiet reset baked into it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cNew day\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cFresh start\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cDo better today\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And before that, even earlier, there was another version of it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe sun will come up tomorrow, and it won\u2019t be nearly as bad as you think.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That one served a purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was stabilising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something to hold onto when things felt like they were spiralling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#Where-the-reset-came-from\" >Where the reset came from<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#Where-it-started-to-break\" >Where it started to break<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#A-different-question\" >A different question<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#Bad-days-look-different-now\" >Bad days look different now<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#The-cycle-I-didnt-see\" >The cycle I didn\u2019t see<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#Whats-changed\" >What\u2019s changed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#A-subtle-difference\" >A subtle difference<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#Journaling-became-something-else\" >Journaling became something else<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/#Final-thought\" >Final thought<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where-the-reset-came-from\"><\/span>Where the reset came from<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I think the reset started as a coping mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A way to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>reduce overwhelm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>contain anxiety<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>get through the day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If everything feels too big, you shrink the horizon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>just get through today<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>count your blessings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>take the small wins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I still do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I just call them <strong>micro-wins<\/strong> now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where-it-started-to-break\"><\/span>Where it started to break<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At some point, the reset stopped being stabilising\u2026 and started becoming expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not obviously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But quietly, in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every day I was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>rebuilding context<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reloading decisions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reprocessing the same thoughts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Journaling helped\u2014but in a particular way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It became less about reflection and more about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>getting things <em>out of my head<\/em> when it wasn\u2019t healthy to process them<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Middle of the night thoughts.<br>Spinning ideas.<br>Stuff with no resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just\u2026 park it somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A-different-question\"><\/span>A different question<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Somewhere along the line, the question changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhat should I do today?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhere am I up to?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That shift did two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It stopped the daily reset<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It let me pick things up without rethinking everything<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if it had been days. Even weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the note is literally:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cMootards isn\u2019t dead yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bad-days-look-different-now\"><\/span>Bad days look different now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf it was a bad day\u201d used to mean:<br>\u2192 reset tomorrow<br>\u2192 try again<br>\u2192 do better<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it\u2019s closer to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>there\u2019s no such thing as a wasted day<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if the only thing I learn is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I needed to not think<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I needed to stop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I had nothing in the tank<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s still information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The-cycle-I-didnt-see\"><\/span>The cycle I didn\u2019t see<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t that I was ignoring reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was that processing it <em>cost too much<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Too many thoughts \u2192<br>too much mental load \u2192<br>exhaustion \u2192<br>loss of momentum \u2192<br>negative loops<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the reset helped break the loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it also meant I never really carried anything forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats-changed\"><\/span>What\u2019s changed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it feels more like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I don\u2019t need to solve everything<br>I just need to not drop the thread<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>And when a day doesn\u2019t move much?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cSo what.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where the micro-wins come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The blessings to count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not as a coping mechanism\u2014but as a way to recognise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>something did happen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>something did move<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>even if it was small<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A-subtle-difference\"><\/span>A subtle difference<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>reset was about escaping the weight<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and sometimes blaming myself for not doing better<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>carrying forward is about reducing that weight<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and removing the need to blame<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because I\u2019m not starting again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m continuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Journaling-became-something-else\"><\/span>Journaling became something else<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not just reflection anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>offloading cognitive load<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>capturing state<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>leaving a trail<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So I don\u2019t have to hold everything in my head<br>or resolve it immediately<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final-thought\"><\/span>Final thought<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I still believe this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>tomorrow is a new day<br>and it can be better<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But I don\u2019t think that requires a reset anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It just means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>pick it up again<br>from wherever it actually is<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014 Epigrantitus (ongoing condition)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I don\u2019t think I realised how much energy I was wasting starting over every day. Not physically. Mentally. Every morning had this quiet reset baked into it: And before that, even earlier, there was another version of it: \u201cThe sun will come up tomorrow, and it won\u2019t be nearly as bad as you think.\u201d That &#8230; <a title=\"The Carry Forward Principle\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/the-carry-forward-principle\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Carry Forward Principle\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13],"tags":[42,41,36,37,40],"class_list":["post-393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-micro-wins","category-systems","tag-growth","tag-journaling","tag-mindset","tag-resilience","tag-systems-thinking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":394,"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions\/394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.the-bach.kiwi\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}