Starting Over: Why It’s Okay And How It’s Actually A Good Thing

To most people, the thought of starting over sounds like a nightmare. That’s because as a society, we take an immense amount of pride in feeling like we have it all together – the perfect career, spouse, friends, house, car, etc. We’re also so obsessed with having it ‘all figured out’ by a certain age that we can become complacent out of fear of judgment from others. 

That’s because starting over requires one to accept that something in their lives isn’t working out. And in a world where it’s all too easy to compare our own lives to the seemingly perfect social media feeds of others, it can be HARD to admit our mistakes, or even fess up that our life isn’t as perfect as we’d like others to believe it is.

However, I’m here to tell you that starting over in life is PERFECTLY OKAY! And did you know that starting over can even be a good thing? (More on that in a moment…)

Starting over doesn’t have to be some huge Eat, Pray, Love moment (although it certainly can be if that’s what you truly desire). Maybe you’ve come to the realization that the people you’re surrounding yourself with don’t truly have your best interest at heart. Or, maybe you’re starting to see that the career path you’re on doesn’t fulfill you like you thought it would when you were studying it in college. 

Starting over can be as big as moving to a different country or switching careers paths. Or, it can be a seemingly small change like deciding to forgive yourself for past mistakes and practicing self compassion. Read on to find out how starting over (whether in one area of your life, or altogether) can actually be a good thing.

Personal Growth

If you want to better your life and work towards becoming the best version of yourself that you can be, then you have to get comfortable with the idea of starting over. In fact, when you start to embark on a self-improvement journey, you’ll find that change is an absolute necessity for personal growth. And when you truly commit to improving yourself, you may also find that you have to start over multiple times along the way. 

Oftentimes, as we grow and improve, we outgrow the situations, relationships, and circumstances that were holding us back and no longer serve us. Starting over can provide the opportunity to align your life with your evolving values, interests, and goals as you grow. It might look like starting over in an area that was holding you back. Or, it might be the idea of starting over each day with a fresh mindset, and letting go of whatever happened the day before.

Overcome Fears

Starting over often involves stepping into the unknown, which can be frightening. The ability to start over demonstrates your perseverance and capacity to bounce back from adversities. This can prove to be an invaluable skill throughout your life. 

Taking risks and putting yourself out there can help you to overcome your fears. When you practice overcoming your fears by putting yourself in situations that would usually make you feel uncomfortable, such as public speaking or finally enrolling in that acting class you’ve always wanted to take, you grow by building your resilience and confidence!

Renewed Sense of Purpose

Starting over can provide you with a renewed sense of purpose. Living out your life’s purpose can give you a sense of fulfillment and belonging as you make a valuable contribution to the world. Still not sure what your life’s purpose is? No problem! Check out this detailed guide on how to find your life’s purpose. 

Aligning your current life with your purpose can invigorate you with more energy, enthusiasm, and motivation. When you start chasing a life that truly excites you, you naturally wake up feeling empowered. This newfound vigor can lead to improved performance which in turn can result in a feeling of accomplishment as you crush your goals.

New Opportunities

You never know what new opportunities await you! When you start over, you give yourself permission to let go of your old ways of thinking. When you let go of negativity and misbeliefs, you open yourself up to receiving exciting new opportunities. New opportunities might present themselves as a career offer, or a blossoming romance, or finding a tribe of people who just “get” you. When you let go of the old, you can start over and open your mind and heart to receiving the new!

Reinvent Yourself

Sometimes nothing feels better than simply creating a fresh start. Starting over offers you the chance to reinvent yourself. You can apply the lessons you’ve learned from previous setbacks and create a better future. You have the opportunity to redefine who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to present yourself to the world.  When you reinvent yourself, you can shed old identities or habits that no longer serve you. Instead, you can embrace new behaviors that align with your aspirations.

Freedom

Starting over grants you the freedom to experiment and explore whether that’s in your career, hobbies, or personal life. When you start over, you can pursue passions you might have previously been too busy or scared to try. This experimentation can lead to unexpected joys and successes! You might just discover something new about yourself, too! 

A fresh start can also give you the freedom to leave any negativity from your past behind. When you start over, you’re granting yourself the endless possibilities of a clean slate!

Improved Well-Being

When you remove yourself from situations that are causing you stress and dissatisfaction, you’ll become happier and healthier! As we all know, stress can take a toll on the body both physically and mentally. 

According to this article from the American Psychological Association, “stress affects all systems of the body including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems.” 

Some of the most common physical and mental illnesses are attributed to high levels of stress. These include heart attack, stroke, anxiety, depression, addiction, headache, and upset stomach just to name a few. 

Starting over can offer you a chance to release old, bad habits, and incorporate healthy, new ones. Maybe a fresh start to you means ditching fast food and learning to cook healthy meals at home. 

A new beginning can also look like reaching out for help if you need it. This could mean scheduling a doctor’s visit you’ve been putting off or talking to a therapist.

Fresh Perspective

Starting over can offer you a fresh perspective on life.

It’s a common cliché that many middle-aged individuals go through a ‘midlife crisis’, a phase that’s akin to the rebellious nature of a teenager, and is overwhelmingly looked down upon by society. 

While many individuals do find themselves going through a midlife crisis, part of this may be due to the fact that as we age we tend to care less about what others think about us. We also become more aware of our own mortality as we get older. Thus, we feel the pressure to compensate for lost time, so we start doing all the things we realize we wish we’d done sooner. 

When we let go of the expectations of others’, we start to see things from a new angle. We stop living for others and realize we should’ve been living for ourselves the entire time. You start to reevaluate your priorities in life, as well as your beliefs and goals, leading to a refreshed perspective.

It’s true that with age comes wisdom. However, instead of waiting decades to muster up the courage to go after what you want, what if we just allowed ourselves and others the opportunity to start over at any age – whether we’re eighteen or eighty? According to this article, some of the most successful people on this planet changed career paths after 30, including the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. So why can’t you?

Starting over offers us the fresh perspective that it’s not the end of the world if we restart at 20, or 30, or 40, or beyond. Age is just a number, after all. But life is a journey and we only get one shot at it, so why not live it in a way that truly brings you joy!

Share how you’re starting over in an area of your life below in the comments! Then, start your self-discovery journey with these must-read books for self-mastery.

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