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Are you feeling stuck? Are you bored or unsatisfied with how life’s going? Trust me; I get it! We’ve all been there, experiencing a lack of fun, creativity, purpose, or progress.
However, you do not need to despair. This stuffing feeling can be a good thing. How? Try viewing it as a sign – life is ringing the bell that you need to change something to move forward.
You might be wondering, is there a way to restart your life? And the answer is, a thousand times, yes!
In this article, we will explore how to reset life in 18 actionable steps. These steps can help you make the first move out of the quicksand. Are you ready? Let’s go!
How To Reset Life In 18 Actionable Steps
How To Reset Life: The Preliminary Steps
1. Acknowledge Your Life Needs Refreshing
Reading this article right now could mean that you might have noticed some signs of experiencing a rut. But how do you know your life could use some refreshing?
Let’s see: have you been feeling unmotivated, unsatisfied, or bored lately? Like your everyday life does not give you the sense of purpose and happiness you need?
Have you been procrastinating or following an exhausting, monotonous routine? Do you experience more negativity or the need to isolate yourself from others? Are you constantly tired or irritated?
This could be your mind and body telling you your life needs to evolve in a different direction.
2. Take A Break To Rest And Ground Yourself
Instead of making a call to action, my second advice on how to reset life is to rest. If you have been in a rut for a long time, you are probably too immersed in it.
Try shifting your state of being from constantly doing to resting. This will allow you to relax and distance yourself from your daily routine. By doing so, you are more likely to view your situation objectively like an observer.
3. Get Comfortable With Getting Uncomfortable
I am sorry to break the bad news but hear me out. No change stems from existing within your routines. Want to know how to reset life? The answer is to get uncomfortable.
Even if you despise your routine, it is still tough to change it. We become comfortable and feel safe by operating the same way we have been for so long.
To invite progress into your life, you need to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. You may feel some resistance at first but know it is necessary to shake things up.
How To Reset Life: Reviewing The Past
4. Pinpoint The Areas Of Your Life That Need Change
Make a retrospection of a typical week/month for you. Try to pinpoint any areas of your life that gather stagnant energy. It could be your studies, work, after-work activities, relationships, etc.
Here are some practical tips:
- Bring to mind a cherished moment you felt most motivated, happy, understood, and fulfilled. Now, compare that moment with how parts of your daily life make you feel.
- Avoid using your logic way too much. Often, we try to rationalize or deny some harsh truths. Instead, lead this retrospection with emotion.
5. Notice Bad Habits, Old Behaviors, And Unhelpful Mindsets
The stagnant energy may not only originate from external factors; it could also come from within. You drive the change in your life. However, if you don’t improve as a human, changing will be a futile effort.
Hence, if you want to reset your life, you also need to review your habits, behaviors, and mindsets. Maybe you are sleeping late and not taking care of your health, procrastinating, lingering around toxic people, or harvesting negative self-talk and pessimism.
Self-awareness is a powerful tool here. Review your actions and thoughts and recognize the patterns that have been holding you back. Journaling for self-awareness can be immensely helpful and clarifying.
6. Reflet On The Relationships In Your Life
You couldn’t possibly think we could leave relationships out of this, could you? The people we associate with are a big part of our lives. Ensuring we exist in healthy, loving, and affirming relationships with respected boundaries is crucial for a life reset.
People who make you feel drained, agitated, or disrespected after each encounter do not deserve to walk life with you. Sometimes, letting go of toxic or meaningless relationships is enough to let you breathe some air of change.
Here are some journal prompts for toxic relationships by Simone.
How To Reset Life: Designing The Future
7. Visualize What Your Ideal Life Looks/Feels Like
There have been times when I urgently needed some change in my life but didn’t know exactly what I wanted instead. The hectic way of living often distances us from our dreams.
Reconnect with your biggest aspirations and life goals by doing simple everyday visualization practices. Visualize yourself leading your dream life; what are your life conditions and achievements? What are your relationships like? And most importantly, who are you?
One study reveals that visualizing your goals can double your confidence in achieving them! The more you explore your desires, the more specific you will become. Grasping your dreams will help you set tangible goals that will help you acquire them.
8. Revisit Your Core Values
Core values are fundamental beliefs and principles that represent our identity and guide our decisions and life course. As we grow and evolve, these core values may change. This is why we should always ensure our life aligns with them.
For example, you may fundamentally believe in everyone’s equal right to free healthcare and yet work for an insurance company. This sort of dissonance could cause emotional discomfort and could be a sign for you to reset life.
But how do you know what your core values are? Elaine Welteroth, chief editor of Teen Vogue, in her Masterclass, prompts, “Find what matters more to you than money and then ask yourself why. These are your values.” Forbes Coaches Council, on the other hand, suggests a lengthier approach.
9. Consider What Gives Your Life Purpose
Finding how to reset life involves exploring possible future directions for yourself. But how will you know where to head to? By discovering your purpose!
Purpose gives our life meaning, pace, and direction. It keeps us motivated, determined, and resilient. It fuels us to achieve our goals despite the hardships and challenges. So having one is, let’s say… important!
According to author and Ayurveda expert Sahara Rose, dharma (your soul’s purpose) is not a career, a project, or a certain role you play. It’s the unique vibration that your soul carries to everything that you do and every way that you are.
Consider what this means for you and how you can apply it in your everyday life.
Practical Tips On How To Reset Life
10. Set your priorities straight
Now that you’ve taken a moment to reflect on the areas of your life that need a shake-up, it’s time to set your priorities straight. What is more important to you right now?
Discovering your priorities requires you to consider a blend of your aspirations, emotional and physical needs, and core values.
For example, if you are experiencing burnout, your priority should be rest and reflection. Similarly, if you have been too focused on work, maybe you should begin prioritizing your family or friends.
Note that priorities change regularly, and we should be flexible enough to accommodate these changes.
11. Construct an action plan.
After you have concluded what it is that you want, you’ll need to establish how to get it. That is where the action plan comes into play. An action plan is a bridge between your abstract dreams and reality.
It is a long-term course-of-action roadmap you will use as a guide to set smaller, more tangible goals. So, have your eyes on the prize and do some research on the actions you need to take.
Pro tip: Asking for advice from people you trust, reading a book, and educating yourself are some excellent ways to gather information to cinstruct your action plan.
12. Set SMART Goals
Let’s say you’ve constructed an action plan on how to reset life; now, it’s time to decide on specific goals.
Believe it or not, there is a model for setting effective goals, and that is SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
This means that your goals should be:
- Clear and detailed
- Easy to track
- Realistically achievable with your powers and available means
- Aligned with your greater plan
- Set to be completed in a specific time frame.
13. Track Your Progress
Goals should be easy to track for several reasons. For starters, goal tracking helps you stay organized. At any given moment, you know how much progress you’ve made and where you are right now, helping you plan your next step.
It also keeps you motivated, providing visual proof of your well-spent efforts. Finally, it ensures you remain consistent by reminding you of your next moves and your overall goal.
You can use journals, progress-tracking apps, calendars, or anything that fits your lifestyle. This way, you will make your journey to achieving a life reset smoother and more devoted.
14. Take Care Of Your Mental And Physical Well-Being
More often than not, when we talk about doing a life reset, mental and physical wellness is being thrown on the back burner. However, being able to support big life changes requires that you are supported and well yourself.
Pushing a sick body or a tired mind will eventually lead to exhaustion. That is why it is important to take care of them both.
Nurture your mind with positivity, engage in activities that bring you joy, prioritize self-care, or try therapy. Also, make sure to fuel your body with nutritious foods, exercise, and enough rest.
15. Change First What Can Be Easily Changed
Change takes time, and if you are not the type to trust the process, you might get easily demotivated. That’s why I suggest implementing some simple yet effective shifts that will bring a sense of renewal.
For example, you can try a new haircut or revamp your personal style. You can try listening to a different music style, picking an unexpected read, or hanging out to a new place you haven’t been to.
Of course, you shouldn’t just leave it to these superficial-level changes. But they should not be disregarded, as they can offer an immediate boost that can positively act as an avalanche effect.
16. Learn To Let Go And Forgive
Often, we hold grudges or sorrows that anchor us to the past, not allowing us to turn a new life chapter. The past belongs to the past, and if you linger on it, you lose the opportunity for growth and change.
Recognize situations, people, or past versions of yourself you have been holding onto and let go. By not discharging hurtful encounters or people, you allow them to hurt you again and again. Forgive them and choose to heal yourself by moving forward.
17. Commit To It
Make a commitment to yourself that you will continue to seek growth and change even when challenges arise. However, we all know keeping commitments to yourself is somehow tougher than keeping commitments to others.
To solve that, you can start your life-resetting journey with a friend or partner, as long as they are on the same wavelength, non-judgmental, and supportive.
Otherwise, you can make your commitment known to your personal supportive network. This way, you will have someone to share your progress with and cheer you on when things get tough.
One study on accountability shows that you can have a 65 percent chance of achieving your goals of life resetting by having an accountability partner!
18. Accept That You Won’t Be Liked By Everyone
People pleasers, raise your hand! If you want to learn how to reset life, you also gotta accept that not all people will be satisfied with the new version of you, and that is more than okay!
You are changing your life to make it more adhering to your aspirations, dreams, and core values. You deserve people who will understand that your decisions are supporting your well-being.
Focus on the supportive people in your life who can provide constructive feedback when asked and keep sheer haters at bay!
Final Words On How To Reset Life
Feeling stuck or dissatisfied with life is more common than you think. The discomfort you’re experiencing might just be the nudge you need to make a change.
You’ve already taken the first step by considering how to reset life, and in these 18 steps, we’ve explored practical ways to breathe new life into your days.
What’s left to do? Embrace the opportunity for growth, stay committed to your aspirations, and be patient with the process!
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