Episode 258 | The 24-Hour Rule: The ACL Rehab Mindset You Need in the New Year

What is up team? And welcome back to another episode of the ACL Athlete Podcast. At the time of recording this episode, we are heading into the new year, 2026, and at the time you’re listening, it’s likely also 2026—though it could be 2027, 2028, or beyond. So welcome, no matter when you’re tuning in. As we head into a new year, I always like to talk about reflection-based work and getting into a good mindset. A new year gives us space to slow down and reset the tone for what’s ahead.

Whether you’re listening at the start of the year, in December, or somewhere in between, it honestly doesn’t matter. A new year tends to create moments of reflection, goal-setting, and resetting expectations. Many people set resolutions or intentions, and for many ACLers, this feels like “the year.” This is the year you take control of the process and commit to doing the thing. Maybe you’ve had poor guidance, bad physio, or a tough experience with your knee, or maybe you’ve had good guidance, but the knee still isn’t responding the way you hoped.

Some of you may be facing a clean-out procedure, a manipulation, or even a second surgery, and that happens. But you’re saying to yourself that this is the year you get back to doing what you care about and put yourself in a better place. Today’s topic isn’t about specific exercises, sets, reps, or even venting about the process. While I’ve been fired up lately from consulting with so many ACLers falling through the cracks, that’s not the focus today. The goal is to enter this year with a mindset that actually supports your ACL rehab working.

This idea comes from performance coach and author Steve Magness, who puts out excellent content and is someone I highly recommend following. The concept is called the “24-Hour Rule,” which he attributes to his high school coach. I want to bring this framework to you as ACLers entering a new year and a new phase of rehab. Honestly, this may be one of the most important mental frameworks you can adopt during the ACL rehab process. The core idea is simple: no matter what happens, you give yourself a window to feel it.

That window applies to great sessions, bad sessions, flare-ups, setbacks, milestones, or big wins. Before I even came across this concept, I was already encouraging something similar with my athletes—allowing space to feel setbacks without ignoring them, but also not staying stuck there. The 24-hour rule simply gives that idea more structure. You feel the frustration, the pride, the disappointment, or the relief. But you don’t live there.

Now, this doesn’t mean everything magically resolves in 24 hours. Some setbacks last days, weeks, or even months. You’re going to feel it when something happens, whether it’s a milestone or a setback, and that’s normal. The key is that after that window, you return to the work. Not because emotions don’t matter, but because they need boundaries. Without boundaries, emotions can control our psyche and dictate our actions, and mindset absolutely drives behavior.

This matters in ACL rehab because the process is an emotional and physical rollercoaster. One week, you feel unstoppable, hitting milestones and building confidence. The next week, your knee swells for no clear reason, and suddenly everything feels uncertain. What derails most people isn’t the knee itself, but letting one outcome define the next week, month, or entire process. A bad day turns into “I’m behind” or “this isn’t working,” while a good day can turn into coasting and skipping the process.

It’s important not to get too high on the highs or too low on the lows. Both extremes steal momentum. The psychological boundary that the 24-hour rule creates is powerful because it doesn’t suppress emotion or bury it. Instead, it gives emotion a container. You’re allowed to wrestle with the experience, but it doesn’t become your identity. Your rehab isn’t defined by one flare-up, one missed session, or one PR—it’s defined by how you show up afterward.

As you enter this year, your job is not to control outcomes. You can’t perfectly control swelling, timelines, or how quickly confidence returns. What you can control is your structure, consistency, intent, and willingness to show up again. Sometimes your 24 hours is a full day, and sometimes it’s eight hours or eight minutes. Wins still matter, but they don’t mean the work is done, and setbacks don’t mean the process is broken.

The real question becomes: how much time do I need to process so I can pivot? That depends on the magnitude of the win, setback, or mismatch of expectations. Consistency becomes its own coping mechanism—not blind optimism, not grinding through pain, and not pretending you don’t care. It’s a rhythm of feeling, learning, and moving forward. Give yourself permission to feel fully, but don’t let any single moment steal your momentum.

Momentum doesn’t have to be massive to matter—it just can’t be zero. Even 0.1% forward progress is still positive momentum. Maximal momentum isn’t sustainable, but negative momentum will steal from the process just as quickly. You don’t control the outcome, but you do control the return to your controllables. That’s how ACL rehab works. No matter the win or loss, joy or disappointment, the next day you get back to work.

I recommend trying this framework for a week or two, especially if you find yourself speaking more negatively to yourself than positively. ACL rehab is filled with more lows than highs by nature. No one is crushing it every single day, even if it looks that way on the outside. This framework keeps things simple and sustainable. You control the return, not the outcome.

I’ll tag Steve Magness because he deserves credit for this concept. I hope this was helpful, and I’d genuinely love to hear from you. If you have goals for this year and want accountability, send me a message on Instagram or email after listening. I appreciate the messages week in and week out, and I love hearing how this content fires you up and helps you move forward. Until next time, this is your host, Ravi Patel, signing off.