Life Reset Challenge + Free Checklist
You might ask..when should I do a life reset? How should I do a life reset?
The when? If you feel like you need to shake things up, if you feel bored and stuck in a rut, or if you need some sort of reinvention, then it might be time for a reset.
A life reset can happen at any time of the year. You don’t need to wait for a new year or month to recalibrate and reset. Admittedly, the beginning of the year makes a good time for a life reset; that is what I have done in the past.
However, a life reset can happen at the beginning of the year, mid-year, or just before Fall. The exact time doesn’t really matter. What really matters is how you feel. In short, how you feel determines the when.
The how? I have created this life reset challenge and checklist to help with exactly this. It would be a lot easier if there were a “reset” button, and a mere click would be all we needed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. However, this life reset checklist is bound to make the process a lot easier.
Why Everyone Needs a Life Reset Once in a While
We all need a reset once in a while. Life can get messy and confusing. You end up collecting and piling up frustrations and stress. You divert from your goals and just start doing life for the sake of it without a sense of purpose. It happens. Such is life. And that is why we all need a reset once in a while.
Some of the benefits of a reset include;
Better Clarity and Focus—An overall life reset tends to clear out the noise, allowing you to recognize your values and focus on your goals.
Renewed Motivation– Sometimes, we get stuck in a rut, and our routines get pretty boring. A life reset allows you to approach things differently and can quickly reignite your passion.
Chance to Let Go of Emotional Baggage—We all carry some sort of emotional weight, whether regret, grudges, or sadness. A life reset is a chance to let go of the past and approach life from another angle.
A Chance to Course-Correct- Sometimes, we are in a hole, and instead of finding a way out, we just keep digging deeper because we are using the same routines. A reset is a chance to be proactive and change what is not working.
Better Mental Health– Feeling stuck in the same old routine can cause stress and anxiety. A life reset offers an opportunity to do things differently.
Personal Growth—The most obvious advantage of a life reset is personal growth. A reset is a chance to embrace better habits or learn new skills, which allows you to grow and improve yourself.
Step-By-Step Life Reset Checklist
1. Reflect on Your Current Situation/Life.
The first step to an effective reset is taking stock of your current situation. This evaluation aims to determine what is working and what needs to be changed. Conduct a small personal audit.
You can use tools such as journaling to really get deep and discover what is working and what is not. Set aside a Friday evening or night to do this. Spend a couple of hours journaling to really learn what you want to keep and what you don’t.
I highly recommend you focus on journal prompts for self-discovery and self-reflection when doing this.
Whatever path you choose, make sure you finish the exercise with answers to the following questions.
- Why do you need this life reset? What is the big motivation?
- Where exactly are you in life right now? Physically, emotionally, mentally, socially?
- What do you absolutely adore about your current life and definitely want to keep?
- What is okay but could use some improvements?
- What don’t you like at all and need to change completely?
2. Declutter Your Environment- Physical, Digital, Mental, Emotional, Routines, Relationships
The next step is to declutter your environment. You can do this on a Saturday morning after a Friday evening of a personal audit.
When I say declutter your environment, I don’t just mean your physical environment. Decluttering your environment encompasses decluttering your mental and emotional spaces as well.
One of the best things you can do during a reset or any kind of change is to change your environment. This is fundamental to building new habits.
Declutter your physical space.
First, start with your physical space and declutter room by room or corner by corner. You can even start with a drawer or a closet. Do not be too hard on yourself. Start small and keep going.
Try These:
Declutter your digital space.
Next, move to your digital space. With the time we spend on our phones, laptops, and tablets, it is imperative to create order there.
Organize files, remove harmful apps you no longer require, and reply to unanswered texts and emails. Unsubscribe from email lists that no longer serve you. Delete duplicate photos and screenshots you don’t need. Create order.
Check your socials and unfollow or mute people and accounts that negatively affect your mental health. Your social media feed should empower and inspire you.
You can even consider a digital detox afterward for the ultimate disconnecting and recharging.
Declutter your mental and emotional space.
Next, move up to mental and emotional decluttering.
Do a brain dump to declutter your mental space. Note down any and everything that pops up until you have nothing left on your mind. Write things you are anxious about, write down negative thoughts, note down any limiting beliefs, and write down things you need to get done. Note down things you want to remember. Write everything that pops into your head.
Use tools like mindfulness meditation and journaling to let go of grudges and emotional turmoil to declutter emotionally. Try to let the past be the past.
Declutter your routine
Remember to also declutter your routine. Carefully think about how you spend your time daily and what adds value to who you are and your life.
Review and “declutter your relationships.”
Decluttering also includes your relationships. Research emphasizes that a rich social life is the key to lasting happiness. Audit your relationships. Are there any toxic influences you need to remove altogether or, at the very least, set boundaries for? Where can you do better to improve your relationship with your loved ones?
3. Reassess Your Life Goals
After decluttering, you are ready to reassess your goals. You can do this on Sunday morning. When I say reassessing your goals, I mean your goals in every aspect of life: health, career, relationships, and personal growth.
The goal of such a re-evaluation is to make sure your goals align with your values. When your goals align with your personal values, it is so much easier to be motivated to pursue them every day, even when you feel worn out.
When setting your goals, remember to use the SMART tool. Ensure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
4. Build Healthy Habits
So, now you have the goals that reflect who you are and what you want to achieve. You are no longer restricted by some emotional baggage and other physical constraints. You are ready to pursue your goals with everything you’ve got.
Now, you need healthy habits. And I use “need” aptly. Research shows that motivation alone is not the most reliable resource for achieving goals. You need to plan and build healthy habits.
There are several techniques for building healthy habits, including habit stacking, finding complementary habits, celebrating small wins, and avoiding the “all-or-nothing” approach. Atomic Habits by James Clear is an excellent book for this purpose. I recently read it, and it completely transformed how I approach my tasks and how I deal with things I do not particularly enjoy doing but have to do.
You can slowly and consistently create morning and evening routines that not only complement your life but are also wired for overall wellness.
You can use tools such as habit trackers to keep track and hold yourself accountable. Please realize that building healthy habits will take time. Unfortunately, it is not something you can do in a day or a weekend. Start with a rough idea of how you want your day to look and adjust as you go.
RELATED:
THE POWER OF A MINDFUL MORNING ROUTINE
BALANCED DAILY ROUTINE: TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE WITH HEALTHY DAILY HABITS
THE SECRETS TO CREATING A DAILY WELLNESS ROUTINE
CREATING YOUR IDEAL EVENING ROUTINE
5. Organize Your Finances
Another important aspect of resetting your life is organizing your finances. Finances determine the quality of your life, which warrants a separate mention.
Review your current budget or create one if you don’t have one. Remove any unnecessary expenses and subscriptions. Set up reasonable financial goals related to savings and investments. Make sure you actually budget for fun activities, including vacations.
6. Create a Self-Care Routine
Another thing worth mentioning is self-care. The only common denominator between
‘the person you are” and the “person you want to be” is you. It should go without saying that you need to take care of yourself.
Self-care is not selfish. In fact, it is necessary for optimal health and better relationships with others. Create a sustainable self-care routine that can become part of your daily routine. There are various forms of self-care, including physical, emotional, and spiritual self-care.
RELATED: AFFORDABLE SELF-CARE: CHEAP AND SIMPLE IDEAS ON A BUDGET.
7. Develop a Growth Mindset
The last thing I want to mention is the importance of developing a growth mindset. The most important thing you can do in this reset, or any other, is acknowledge that life evolves. The most crucial step for a sustainable reset is mindset.
To actually change your life for the long run and make it a lifestyle you have to change how you think about it. The only way to stand tall and prioritize personal growth is to gradually adopt a growth mindset.
See failures as opportunities for growth and embrace challenges. Learn new skills, take online courses, or read more. Acknowledge that you can’t remain the same person and embrace growth.
Life Reset Checklist
- Reflect and evaluate your current situation/life
- Declutter your physical space
- Declutter your digital spcae
- Declutter your mental space
- Declutter your emotional space
- Review and declutter your routine
- Review your relationships
- Reassess your life goals
- Develop life goals that reflect your values
- Build healthy habits/ routine
- Make sure to include a self-care routine in your habits
- Organize your finances
- Remember, develop a growth mindset
To conclude,
Society perpetuates the lie that it needs to be “hard” to be worth it. No, it doesn’t. Of course, it won’t always be rainbows and sunshine. But resetting your life does not have to be complicated.
Follow the above steps, keep it simple, start small, be consistent, and see your life change.
Let me know below when you plan to start your life reset, and if you already have, how’s it going?