People don’t judge you by one moment. They judge you by the moment you keep repeating.

One bad day rarely defines you, because everyone has had one and most people know it. What sticks is the thing that happens again: the late arrival, the joke that goes one step too far, the promise that gets rescheduled. Repetition turns an event into a description. That is also good news, since repetition is the part you can change.

Think about what people could set a watch by with you. Pick the one you would rather not be known for and break the pattern twice this week. Two is enough for someone to notice.