A few years ago, I was at the worst point in my life. I lost my dad, my childhood home, and every illusion of peace I had in my life. I was a total mess, but I still had a smile on my face like the perfect cosmetic.
On the inside, I just wanted everything to be over. After few months of sulking and feeling lost, I decided enough was enough. I found myself looking for ways on how to start over and get my life back on track.
You may have been in a situation where it seemed like all hope was lost. Maybe, like me, you lost a close relative, or your job, or even a relationship. You experienced a significant change, and it was hard for you to embrace it. While change may look wrong in some circumstances, it is not the end of the world.
In most cases, it makes you stronger and helps you discover yourself to the fullest. In my case, I learned how determined and strong I could be. I learned how to start over, how to appreciate life and family more than ever.
Sometimes we need the change more than we know. There was a story about a lady who lost her job after 17 years of working and growing the company internationally. She thought a surprise promotion was coming her way but instead, she got a surprise sack letter, a shabby excuse from her boss, and the normal "I am sorry."
She was devastated. She lost her marriage and home because of her job, and she was about to lose her children. She didn't know how to start over at that point, and she almost gave up her hope and her kids.
Now here is the part we have all been waiting for. One day she decided to start a LinkedIn account and get a job from somewhere. She opened her profile on many freelancing websites and just tried to remain positive.
The first client she got, after three weeks of sending hundreds of proposals, changed her life. He offered to pay her three times what she makes a month in her former workplace for one project! She felt it was a scam, but it wasn't. Her skills and experience were worth more than she ever imagined, and they were in higher demand.
She earned almost half a million dollars, bought a new house, and got her kids back five months later. Now she is a boss of her own with a net worth over four million dollars and married to the sweetest and most loving man.
While her case may seem like it came out of a Hollywood director's notepad, it isn't so far stretched from what happens when people decide to give their selves a second chance.
Steps On How To Start Over
We all make mistakes, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve another chance. Most people spend more time wondering how to start over instead of taking the actual steps, or they are merely too busy feeling bad for themselves.
Let's change that!
Make a decision
The first step on how to start over is to decide you want another chance in life and happiness. You need to stop the negativity that runs in your head and embrace the possibility of positive change. It doesn't matter what you have done, what you have lost, or what you may never recover from. All that matters is how much you want to get your life back.
Being able to control your mindset is the number one key to getting a fresh beginning and learning how to start over.
Reflect on your past actions
Let's say you were playing a game, and you failed multiple times. The next thing you do will be to stop for some time and re-strategize. What did I do wrong? Why can't I get it no matter how much I try? These are some questions you will ask yourself. You can't just go back in the come and continue playing randomly. You need a plan and one that will work perfectly.
The same thing applies to life because, as they popularly say, life is the biggest game. When you face a significant breakdown and you decide to start over, you have to know what made you break in the first place to avoid your past mistakes.
Make peace with yourself
Yeah, you may have messed up, but it's okay. You are human. Yes, you will never work in that office again as an employee, but that is not the end of the world. Better things will come. You are going to miss that special person, but you will surely smile again.
Making peace with ourselves, accepting our decisions, actions, and fate help us become better, guide us on how to start over. You know you can't change the past, but you can make the future.
Identify your obstacles
Now you have reflected on your past actions. You need to identify the obstacles you may face. You lost your wife, and you are looking for how to start over in the dating world. What is going to stop you? Is it your age? Or your finances? Whatever it is, identify it.
Doing this will help you figure out a way to walk around your problem so you can keep pushing forward on your new path.
Draft that plan and take action
Now you have decided you need a plan. You need to make one. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to draft out a plan in writing.
It can mean you are taking a jog and a gym class after deciding you want a new look. Or you are opening a profile on a dating app.
Do not just cower in your insecurities and fear but instead take the bold step and take action. Don't procrastinate. Just do it!
Set your goals
You need a place to arrive so you won't get lost. Having a goal gives you direction and drive. With your eyes set on the prize, you wouldn't easily back down and go back to your shell of self-degradation.
It gives you the motivation to keep standing up no matter how many times you fall.
You are not alone
Most people think how to start over is a task they must do alone. That's wrong. You need to surround yourself with people who will uplift you. It can be your family, friends, spiritual mentor, or even someone you look up to in the business world.
Having the right support system helps you heal faster and gives you the encouragement you didn't know you needed.
Keep pushing! You got this!
When life gives you lemons, turn it into a Disney channel show named Lemonade mouth and make a ton of money. It doesn't matter how many times you fail. You can still do it.
Take that bold step, meet new people, leave that depressing job, and be amazed by how much life has to offer you.
