New Year Resolution(s) anyone? If you have ever made resolutions to change an undesired behaviour, achieve a goal or improve your life, these self-help approaches will steer you towards getting that fresh start you have always desired.
At some point in your life, you must have thought of or used this phrase to make some changes in life “out with the old, in with the new”. You not only want to make changes, you feel you need a clean slate so you can have a new beginning. Everyone desires and even deserves to have a fresh start – to completely reset that unpleasant part of their life so they can move on.
What It Means To Have A Fresh Start.
Having a fresh start means completely changing your way of life or the way that you do things, especially after you have been unhappy or previously been unsuccessful in doing something.
Anyone can have a fresh start; anyone who feels they need an opportunity to start something new, to turn a new leaf, or start a new life because they have experienced events in their life that could have been or have been irredeemable. Sometimes, it is as simple as wanting to improve one’s life.
How To Have A Fresh Start.
Yearning for a fresh start does not automatically mean having a fresh start. You may want a thing but not have it. The effort you dedicate towards getting it is what guarantees the outcome.
To have a fresh start you need to first:
- Decide if it’s a fresh start you need or a do-over. Fresh start connotes a clean state or a total change while a do-over means to repeat or re-do the same thing. In both cases, you are expecting a turnaround but while one is about creating a new experience, the other is focused on making the original better.
- Realize that your comfort zone is a limitation zone. It is possible to have the opportunity for a new beginning and yet not know it. Our comfort zone is a mental state where we usually find acceptable and feel safe without worrying about the risks that come from doing something new. You need to step out of your comfort zone to realize your full potential.
- Eliminate anything and anyone inhibiting you from moving forward. Guilt-tripping is one example of an inhibitor. If you are in a relationship with someone who makes you feel bad for wanting to make a change in your life, you need to cut off from them. If there is an object or hobby that you know is not good for you or you feel reluctant to let go, you need to find a way to do away with it completely. As long as they remain in your life, you will find it difficult to move forward.
- Be ready to leave the past behind. Regrets about past mistakes will stop you from moving forward. The past needs to remain in the past. The only time the past can help you move forward is when you can use the lessons learned as a motivation to grow and become better.
And suddenly you know … it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings
Get A Fresh Start: Do This Not That.
Plan.
Planning is a process of evaluating and making decisions on a future course of action. Have a plan that includes action and be sure to outline the process of implementing such action. Don’t just go with the flow – taking the easiest way out in an attempt to achieve your goal is not an ideal way to go. If you want to make a fresh start, do not act without preparation.
Learn.
Learn about the new life or opportunity you want to create for yourself. You may need to learn new ways of doing things. Changing your life may involve learning new behaviours, new skills, a new language or even a new culture. If you are hoping to have a new beginning, do not use the same methods to achieve new goals.
Focus.
To have a fresh start means paying attention to and putting your happiness first. There will be people in your life who will criticize, object or oppose you turning your life around. If having a fresh start means you will have a happy life, go for it. Be sure to pay no mind to nay-sayers, do not put others’ happiness above yours.
Change.
If you want a fresh start, you must be ready to change. Anyone who wants to turn a new leaf has probably had a moment in their life that is strong enough to warrant a change. Change means you will most likely feel different or be treated differently. It would be difficult for you and those around you. But let your old ways remain part of your old self. Know that change can be a good thing; it will be something new, better and eventually, something preferred. Do not let the fear of changing deny you of the benefits that come with it.
Live.
For me, to live means to enjoy life with all its ups and downs. Life is tough and with it comes many challenges; challenges that will test you and cause you to make mistakes. The experiences you encounter as you journey through life will break you or make you. Whatever life throws at you, do not let it stop you from having the best experience you can look back on and be proud of.
I think its time for a fresh start.
Life is like a continuous assessment and it’s quite natural to look back at your life, evaluate your accomplishments and strive to make improvements where necessary. The reality is that to achieve the kind of life you want, you have to be ready to get rid of the old and embrace the new.
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