Break it, fix it. Sorry is the start of that sentence, not the whole thing.

An apology settles the feeling and leaves the situation exactly where it was. Saying sorry is worth doing, but it opens the exchange rather than closing it, and people can tell the difference between someone who regrets a thing and someone who repairs it. Repair costs money, time or awkwardness, which is precisely why it registers. It is the part that proves the words meant something.

When you break, lose or ruin something this week, say it plainly and then name what you will do about it. Then do that part before anyone reminds you.