How to Have a Fresh Start Without Changing Everything
Figure Out Why You Feel You Want A Fresh Start
You may have many reasons as to why you would like a fresh start. As long as you know and feel that this change is right for you then go for it!
However, if you’re feeling a little lost and feel the need to completely uproot your life and start again, maybe it’s time to really sit down with yourself and ask yourself why you feel this way. If you feel like you need to escape the life you’re living now, then consider speaking to someone or taking some time to think about it. It may work for some people but completely starting over and leaving the old you behind can be very lonely, overwhelming and traumatic. You may even fail to acknowledge any thoughts and feelings that you leave behind.
So be careful before you make your decision and maybe consider changing a few things below before doing anything too drastic.
Find a Mantra or Quote to Live By
This is one of my favourite things to do, no matter what it is that I’m advising. I thoroughly believe that having your own mantra and repeating it, writing it down or having it up somewhere you can see it most of the time, helps you to keep positive and motivated.
When you go through big changes, it’s very likely that somewhere along the way you’ll begin to question why you made this decision. Having a little something to keep you going will help you to stick to your goals and remind you why you started and where you’re going to be.
Make Your Happiness Your Priority
Before making any changes, set yourself a goal with how you want this fresh start to make you feel. Sometimes it’s easy to set goals for tangible things and expect to feel great once they’ve been completed.
How about you set a goal to feel fulfilled, satisfied and comfortable in whatever part of your life isn’t up to scratch, and then work backwards, doing things that will only make you feel this way.
Make your happiness your goal and take steps towards that.
Be Specific in What Your New Goal is With Your Fresh Start
Then begin to narrow down your choices and get specific with what it is you need to change. If your problem is with your house, focus on the parts that make you the most unhappy. Think about what you need to change first, and make notes of every specific thing that you are needing to do to work towards that happiness and satisfaction.
Set Small Goals & Make Small Changes
Once you’ve got all those little things in place, start making time to change them. All these small steps will eventually lead to that happiness that you desire.
Even if the first steps are researching or dabbling into your enquiry, it’s a good place to start.
If you were thinking about moving because you no longer like the way your current house looks, try redecorating one room and see how you feel. You may be able to see the potential that your home already has and it just needs a spruce up. Or you could look at some paint colours, fabric samples, scroll through pinterest or get an interior decorator to give you some inspiration.
If part of your goal is more to do with the inner you, there is even more that you can do day-to-day.
Say for example, you’re wanting to be a more confident person. You don’t need to go out, get drunk and go wild to be classed as ‘confident’ or ‘outgoing’. Make it a goal to do something out of your comfort zone each day or week or whenever you’re feeling you need a little nudge.
Identify the Area of Your Life That Needs a Fresh Start
It’s not always necessary to change everything just because one thing isn’t quite right. If you’re feeling like you are wanting a complete fresh start because that one thing in your life isn’t working how you’d like it to, then that’s an indication that you need to start focusing on that area of your life.
The saying “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” comes to mind here. You don’t need to uproot your whole life because 1% of it isn’t perfect.
Make sure you know what’s causing you to feel this way and what you can do to change it.
Give Yourself a Taster
Instead of taking the plunge and building a completely new life for yourself, why don’t you try giving yourself a little taster of what you’re dreaming of? Have you lived in the countryside all your life and dreamed of living in the big city? Go for a spontaneous weekend trip by yourself, rent a flat and pretend you’re living there as a local. Take the time to imagine if you could really take the plunge.
Whatever it is, take the opportunity to allow yourself a sneak peak into that life and take note of all the things you like about it, but also all the pitfalls. Then weigh them up.
Schedule Time To Dip Into Your Desires
Sometimes, you can get the same level of satisfaction by doing your desired activity once or twice a week as compulsively deciding to do it full time. For example, if your dream is to give up the 9-5 and be a full time sculptor selling your art, why not go to some galleries and explore more of what you can do in your spare time. You could inquire about reducing some of your hours at work to make more time for your art and use this time to explore your options, put a plan together, set yourself up for a career, and put all those necessary foundations in before you make the big jump.
Scheduling the time and giving yourself more opportunity to embrace your wants will help you to satisfy that inner voice.
Not only this, but taking the time to really dive into doing something you love is a great self care activity and will help with your general wellbeing too.
Remind Yourself How Good You’ve Already Got It
It’s so easy to look at all the negatives in life. Our brains are actually programmed to watch out for any dangers so it’s not surprising that we do this.
We can imagine how good life could be if we did x, y and z but that’s not always going to be the case. We quite often want to have more and forget what we’ve already got. Practice some gratitude and remind yourself that the life you’re considering leaving may not be as bad as you think!
