The Wheel Turns Both Ways

The first day you practice, you work toward meeting your standards.
The second day, you get closer.
The third day, the improvement starts to stick.
The fourth day, your greater skill leads to a higher standard.

The fifth day, you work toward meeting your new standard.
The sixth day, you get closer.
The seventh day, the improvement starts to stick…

…

The first day you skip practice…
The second day you skip practice…
The third day you skip practice…

The wheel turns both ways.  Which direction do you want to go?