How To Start Over When You Feel Stuck

Knock knock, it’s me again! I think a new blog post is long over due. First off, I want to wish you a very Happy New Year. Twenty something days late, but better late than never, right? Sending positive wishes your way in this New Year and hoping for a prosperous year in all the areas of your life. I don’t know about you, but 2023 felt like a rollercoaster to me- lots of highs, lows, and mixed emotions all year round. But the start of 2024 has already been so much better and promising. Which is why I thought I’d write up a post on how to start over when you feel stuck in life! So, if you need to press the reset button in your life, please stay with me and keep reading.
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HOW TO START OVER WHEN YOU FEEL STUCK
1 – Recognize that you need to start over 🗣️
First things first, you can’t solve a problem unless you recognize that it is a problem that needs to be solved. Personally, 2023 was not a good year for me. And one of the biggest reasons why nothing changed in 2023 for me is because it took me a while to recognize that I was stuck. I felt stuck in more than one area in my life, but didn’t do anything to change that. I just kept going with the “flow” and repeating the same days over and over again. When the end of the year came, I was completely drained and felt very discouraged. Although a lot of good things did happen in the year, that feeling of being stuck overpowered the good things that had happened and left me with a bittersweet taste of 2023.
So, I told myself that 2024 could not be a repeat of 2023.
Things had to change.
I needed to start over.
And that’s exactly what happened come January 1st.
I turned the page over and started a new chapter.
The moment it clicks in your brain that you need to start over is the moment that change starts to happen.
2 – Organize your thoughts 💭
Once you are aware that you need to start over, it’s time to organize the thoughts inside of your head on paper. Ask yourself the following questions:
What goals do I have for myself?
Set goals for specific areas in your life. For example, some categories can be: fitness goals, spiritual goals, business goals, health goals, personal goals, etc.
Tip: Do not get carried away and set too many goals. This will only overwhelm you down the line. Be realistic and set a handful of *realistic* goals in each category.
What changes do I need to make?
Make a list of things you need to let go of, change, or remove from your life. Pretty much a list of the things that have hindered your growth and brought you to this state.
This can be toxic habits, self-sabotaging patterns, poor mindsets, negative feelings, etc!
I love writing things on paper, so this year I wrote my goals in my journal. However, if you don’t like writing and prefer typing, create a doc, excel sheet, or a Canva design where you can write down your goals.
3 – Turn each intention into action 🥊
Setting goals is a good start, but it’s not enough to bring change into your life. Not to mention, give you a fresh start. Every goal needs a plan of action, otherwise your goal will only be a goal. So, to take every goal a step further, you need to plan your life around it.
For example, say one of your goals is to workout more.
Turn that intention into action by planning:
•how you are going to workout (at the gym or at home), •how many times a week you are going to workout,
•how long each workout will be
•how you will make time to workout
•how you are going to track your workouts
Doing this will help you make necessary changes in your life so that you can properly accomplish that goal.
I can only speak for myself, but intentional planning has always helped me pursue and accomplish my goals. Last year I was more of a go-with-the-flow girl, and that came to bite me in the butt at the end.
Less planning = less execution
More planning = more execution
You don’t have to plan every detail in your life, but having a rough idea of where you want to be, what you want to accomplish, and how you plan to get there is helpful.
4 – Keep your finger on the restart button 🔘
You have to know that starting fresh will never be easy. You’ll be tempted to revert back to your old ways and just give up when things get tricky. But this is when you have to hold on to your desire for a fresh start as hard as you can. Your finger has to be firm on the restart button until the new habits and goals become your new lifestyle.
Don’t pursue your goals based on motivation.
Motivation is fleeting, it comes and goes. Pursue your goals based on discipline. Discipline will keep you going even when Mr. Motivation has left the chat.
This year I have found myself practicing habits a lot more consistently than last year, not because I’ve been motivated everyday but because I’ve been more disciplined. I’ve forced myself to workout on days I usually don’t like working out on (weekends) and this has made working out throughout the week feel more natural to me. If I can workout on a Sunday, I can workout on a Tuesday. If I can workout on a Friday, I can workout on a
Monday. Little things like this help reprogram your mind.
That’s why I believe that discipline itself produces motivation. You force yourself to accomplish a goal, then you feel happy that you accomplished that goal, and as a result you feel motivated to keep pursuing your goals.
5 – Fall in love with your new lifestyle ❤️
•Celebrate every change you make, even if it’s very small. A win is a win no matter how big it is.
•Check up on yourself often and see what things are working and what things aren’t. Don’t be afraid to get rid of habits that aren’t taking you anywhere.
•Reward yourself to give you something fun to look forward to after accomplishing a goal.
•Keep things pressure-free. Discipline does not mean you are going to burn yourself out in order to accomplish a goal. Discipline is knowing how to balance between rest and hustle, without losing your focus.
•Turn goals that feel like chores into exciting habits that you look forward to practicing consistently.
For example, last year I dreaded working out at the gym. So, this year I decided to get back into home workouts and try all kinds of workouts: dance, pilates, HIIT, etc! Now I look forward to my workout time because it never looks the same and I genuinely enjoy working out from home more. This may not be your case, but it works for me. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, do what you need to do to make what you do enjoyable.
More Posts Like This:
- 20 Toxic Habits To Quit For A Happier Life
- 9 Monthly Habits Of Productive People Who Are Happy
- 50 Best Positive Affirmations To Improve Mindset
- 50 Simple Ways To Invest In Yourself Like A Boss
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on how to start over when you feel stuck. Let me know in the comments below in what area of your life you need to hit the restart button.
Until next time,
Gabby Abigail
