How to Reset Your Life for a Fresh New Start

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Whether you’re reading this post at the start of the new year, after summer vacation, or as your birthday approaches, there’s one thing you need and want: to reset your life and give yourself a fresh new start!

You’re at a point in your life where, perhaps, you don’t like:

• your current situation
• your daily routine
• your job
• your relationships
• yourself

…or all of the above!

In this article, you’ll learn how you can use the power of the “Fresh Start Effect” to reset your life!

So, are you ready to hit the ‘reset’ button? Then, let’s get started!

Last updated on: July 7, 2024

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What Is the “Fresh Start Effect”?

Have you ever wondered why there are certain moments in life in which you feel compelled to act and completely change your life more than others?

It might be at the beginning of each year, as you set an ambitious list of resolutions (that you forget about by February).

Or in September, when you start the new academic year with the goal of not procrastinating and studying a little bit each day. (Yeah, how is that going? ;))

Maybe you feel this urge as your 25th birthday approaches, and the thought of hitting such a milestone freaks you out.

In a smaller sense, you might experience the “Fresh Start Effect” whenever you say that you’ll start eating healthier on Monday, after a weekend of indulgence.

So, what is the “Fresh Start Effect”, exactly?

Matt D’Avella explained it perfectly in this video, “How a Fresh Start Changed Our Life“:

From a psychological perspective, a fresh new start makes you feel more positive about yourself and your capabilities.

Everything feels possible.

You feel capable of achieving anything.

When Does the “Fresh Start Effect” Happen?

Some systematic dates on the calendar provide a collective sense of the “Fresh Start Effect”, such as:

• New Year’s
• September 1st
• Mondays
• Spring Equinox
• The start of a new month

Researchers found out you can use this psychological trick to your advantage to create your own fresh start dates.

That’s why there’s so much power in resetting your life, especially if you feel lost or unhappy.

Maybe, for you, a fresh new start happens as you:

• Start a new job
• Move to a different city
• Launch your blog
• Get closer to your birthday
• Hit the lowest point of your life
• Finish an inspiring book
• Get your gym membership

So, how can you hit the ‘reset’ button and use the “Fresh Start Effect” to change your life?

The Ultimate Checklist to Reset Your Life

1. Analyze Your Life

If you don’t have a clear picture of the current situation, how can you improve it?

The first step to a good reset is to analyze your life.

You’re going to break down your life into 8 categories:

1. Physical Health
2. Mental Well-Being
3. Career
4. Relationships
5. Finances
6. Personal Development
7. Time Management
8. Hobbies and Leisure

Also, feel free to add any other category that plays an important role in your life.

Then, you’re going to write down each of these categories at the top of a blank page and split your paper in half.

On the left, you’re going to list all the things you like; on the right, what you don’t like.

For example, the ‘Time Management’ category could look something like this:

Once you made your lists, you’ll have a better understanding of the positive and negative aspects of each area of your life.

That’s going to be your starting point.

2. Describe Your Dream Life

Once you know where you’re at, you need to define where you want to go.

If you want to reset your life, but at the same time don’t know the outcome you’re looking for, you’ll keep feeling unsatisfied no matter what you do.

So, the next step is to describe your dream life.

For each of the 8 categories mentioned above, I want you to write what they would look like if you were living your dream life.

Fast-forward to the future, you’re the best version of yourself and living your dream life. How does your:

1. Physical Health
2. Mental Well-Being
3. Career
4. Relationships
5. Finances
6. Personal Development
7. Time Management
8. Hobbies and Leisure

look like?

Continuing on the example of the ‘Time Management’ area, you could write:

• In my dream life, I focus on one task at a time. I maintain my concentration by staying hydrated and following the “Deep Work” rule
• In my dream life, I follow an intentional night routine that allows me to rest, recharge, and set myself up for success the next day. I usually am in bed by 9 PM, then I spend one hour journaling, reading, and expressing gratitude for all the amazing things that happened to me throughout the day

Only by having a clear breakdown of your future goals, you can ensure that your life reset will be long-lasting.

So, get detailed! The more you write, the better.

Next step: identify what key behaviors your future self has that you’d like to implement in your life!

3. Bridge the Gap: Tackle One Area At The Time

If you followed this exercise all the way through, now you should have a better picture of where you stand and where you want to go.

This is the hardest step to take, but it’s also the one that will genuinely allow you to hit the ‘reset’ button and finally change your life.

You need to take action!

Small action, of course.

You’re going to bridge the gap from where you are to where you want to be by tackling one area of your life at a time.

If you want to challenge yourself though, feel free to pick up to three areas of your life to work on.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend you to go above three.

Why?

Well, what happens whenever you want to change your life is that you have great intentions, but soon feel overwhelmed by all the work that needs to be done.

That’s what usually happens every New Year: when people say “New year, new me”, only to fall back to their old bad habits as February approaches.

So, the next steps are:

• Pick 1 to 3 areas of your life you want to change
• For each area, set a small habit you can consistently do
• Perform that small habit for a month, tracking your consistency with a habit tracker

For example, some ideas of small habits you could set if you want to tackle ‘Time Management’ first are:

• Read 5 pages of a book every night
• Write down 3 things you’re grateful for each night
• Use the Pomodoro Technique to have slots of “Deep Work” alternated by regular breaks

The best advice to maintain a long-lasting change is to start small but be consistent.

4. Re-evaluate, Assess, Adapt

The final step of the resetting process of your life consists of re-evaluating, assessing, and adapting.

Now and then, you should set some time aside to reflect on your life.

Why is important to do so?

Well, your mind is not the best at anticipating the future…

For example, if you:

• Tried a new habit but didn’t perceive any benefit
• Realize that you were wrong about a certain aspect of your dream life
• Can tell a behavior is not in alignment with your truest self
• Are not able to pursue a certain goal at this specific time of your life

In all of the cases above, it’s ok to let go.

Maybe you thought that you wanted to become an early riser, only to realize that you’re 100% a night owl because you get done your best work only once everyone is already asleep.

Or perhaps, you realize that you felt the “need” to wake up at 5 AM only because of the influence all TikTok creators had on you – but it doesn’t suit your lifestyle.

And maybe, now that you tried out waking up at 5 AM, you realize that sticking to your 11-7 sleep schedule is more beneficial for your health, productivity, and energy.

It’s ok.

It was only by trying new things out that you realized that your dream self probably doesn’t wake up at 5, but at 7 o’clock.

Now you know.

Make the proper adjustments, and keep pursuing your dream life.

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If you were looking for ways to reset your life, I hope this article gave you the right inspiration and toolkit to do so!

Q: “When do you usually feel the urge to reset your life?” – Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂

Until next time,

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