13 Ways to Hard Reset Your Life at Any Age

Last Updated on October 17, 2024 by Angela Vaz

You feel stuck and overwhelmed with life.

Maybe something horrible happened to you and you just want a fresh start. Or you feel like the last few months have not helped you grow and you want to evolve.

You’re craving change.

You’re craving to feel alive and make whatever you do matter.

You want a fresh start.

You want to take control of your life.

I know what you’re feeling because I’ve been there.

I felt that feeling when I lost my mom and when I went through a horrible divorce.

I’ve had that feeling when my online business crumbled and I had to rebuild it from scratch.

And I can honestly say that almost everyone has felt this way at least once during the major lockdown that happened in 2020 during the pandemic.

It doesn’t matter what your past is.

What matters right now is what you make of the present.

And I’m writing this post to inspire you in some way to leave the past behind, unlearn toxic habits, and set new and inspiring goals for yourself to become a better version of yourself.

Let’s begin!

But before that really quick, get my free guide on how to really reset your life.

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Is it possible to actually reset your life?

Yes!

Your life is what you make of it.

No one has the power to dictate what your life should be like.

And if you are unhappy with how your life is going or what you’re doing career-wise, or relationship-wise you have the power to change it.

Figure out what makes you happy and tick, and then start creating personal goals to achieve what you want.

How do I completely reset myself?

Learn how to completely reset your life.

Understand that you cannot erase your memories or your mistakes.

These are definitely in the past, but they will remain with you for a long time because they have played an essential role in shaping your beliefs and character.

You can attribute your beliefs and how you think and feel to the hardships that have made you who you are.

Your obstacles MADE you. They shaped you to become this person you see in the mirror.

However, when we talk about resetting our lives, we mean identifying what we want to change and then changing those areas of our lives.

For instance, if we are unhappy with our finances, we start making plans to save, earn, and invest better to build up that area of our lives.

Here are my top tips on how to reset your life so that you can start a new chapter in your life!

How to reset your life – 13 easy ways for a fresh start

1. Accept your past (no matter how dark)

If you constantly ruminate over your past mistakes or agonize over what you’ve lost or who’s hurt you, you can never move on.

And you will never be able to live a good moment in your life.

Let go of the past.

Stop crying over spilled milk.

Forgive others for what they’ve done to you.

Not because it’s the right thing to do, but because you have only one life, and you deserve to live it happily without obsessing over the hurt and misfortune others have caused you.

Live and let live so that you can be happy.

More than forgiving others, learn to forgive yourself.

We all make mistakes because we are human. And it’s only natural for us to slip up once in a while.

Let go of the past so that you can start living in the moment and make each day count.

I remember being so angry with my ex for cheating on me – but I realized that I needed to let go of that hate so that I could move on in my life and find peace.

I explain how I let go of that anger here.

2. Let go of toxic people

People will come and go in our lives.

Sometimes, it will be easy to let them go.

But sometimes, we may find it hard to accept that a particular person was not meant to be in our lives.

Whether it comes to dealing with a breakup or letting go of a toxic friend, it may be something that will take some time to get used to because the pain can feel so real and raw.

However, it is essential to note that people who are meant to stay in our lives will never leave.

They will always find their way back to us because it is meant to be, and they genuinely value us as people.

So, when a person comes and leaves, learn to accept it and let them go gracefully.

They have played a necessary role in your life, and they have helped you become a better person in some way or another.

Please take it as an important life lesson, and learn to let go.

Here are some posts to help you with this:

3. Identify your core beliefs

A huge part of living a stress-free and beautiful life is to understand what your core beliefs are.

So, on a large sheet of paper, ask yourself, “What are my core beliefs?”

It could be anything that you stand by and anything close to your heart.

For me, it would be “Honesty, love, loyalty, and heart-to-heart communication.”

Once you have your core beliefs written down, ask yourself if your roles as a parent or teacher, sister, or anything else abide by your core beliefs.

Do you live each day aligning your thoughts, words, and actions with your core beliefs?

Are there areas in your life that could do with some adjustments to become more aligned with your core beliefs?

4. Find out what makes you happy

Take a large sheet of paper and write down what truly makes you happy.

Write down anything that would make you happy if money were not concerned. Don’t inhibit yourself. Just shoot!

Is it:

Spending more time with your pets or family?
Creating something like music, art?
Moving your body?
Writing stories or poetry?
Traveling to small towns and discovering the local customs and cuisine?
Living like a minimalist?

Make a list of everything that makes you happy and makes your heart sing.

This is the key to finding out what makes you truly happy.

Once you have your list, try to make more time for the things on your list.

I realized that reading makes me VERY happy.

But this year, I actually dedicated more time to reading (I signed up for a kindle membership so that I could access multiple free books on Amazon) – I’ve read about a 100 books since January, and 2024 has actually been so rewarding to me.

Sometimes, we have to consciously make an effort to make more time for the things we love.

If some of the items are inconceivable, start making goals to work toward them.

Make more time for the things that bring joy to your life, and you will find your life changing for the better.

Honestly.

5. Do it now

Don’t wait.

Life is short.

If you’ve wanted to do something, stop dilly-dallying.

Stop delaying your happiness and just go for it.

Have you wanted to start an online business? Start one now.

Have you wanted to travel the world? Do it now!

There will never be a perfect moment to start something, so quit postponing it and get started right now!

You have the energy; you have the mind space; you have what it takes. Make your dreams a reality!

6. Find out what is bringing you down

Now that you’ve made a list of what makes you happy, you can start a new list of what brings you down.

It may be friends that don’t bring you good vibes.

Or habits you’ve been meaning to give up for a long time.

Write them down.

Once you have your list, slowly work through it and try to give up each toxic habit so that you can make more room for the things that bring you eternal joy.

7. Get rid of things that don’t make you happy

Declutter so that you can surround yourself with things you love

Are there things in your home that you don’t use or just don’t like?

It may be time to adopt minimalism and start decluttering.

Decluttering will make you feel so much better because when you start clearing out the things you don’t need by donating, disposing, or selling them, you start making room for things that make you happy and content.

8. Become self-aware

Take some time to breathe every single day.

We are all busy human beings. And it’s easy to get caught up in life and not have time for ourselves.

But those few sparring moments a day will make a huge difference to your life.

Use that time for yourself – to wind down, to catch up with your thoughts, to breathe.

There are loads of activities you can do to become more self-aware:

Journal
Meditate
Take a 30-minute walk outside on your own
Read some self-care and self-love books

Doing one or all of these activities every day will help you clear your thoughts and understand yourself better.

Reading books will help you understand where you fall short to work on yourself to become a better and stronger person.

Try to meditate 2-5 times a week to clear your head and note your thoughts and feelings.

It’s so important not to stress – and continuously hustling is going to increase your stress as it did for me last month.

So, slowing down is important – it will actually help you grow mentally and become more self-aware. More importantly, it will help recharge you and you’ll stop feeling tired all the time.

9. Craft your ideal morning routine

If your morning is perfect, there is a bloody good chance that your whole day will go along brilliantly.

Once you know how your body works and when your energy levels are really high, you can wake up feeling energized and peppy.

Spend the early morning hours doing something that brings you to a place of calm and peace.

This will set you up for a beautiful and productive day!

10. Prioritize your physical health

Start eating foods that leave you refreshed and energized. And learn to prioritize your physical health.

Life is short.

Wouldn’t you rather live in the pink of health? And be fit, hale, and hearty so you can enjoy life’s pleasures pain-free.

Your physical health will determine the quality of the life you lead.

And if you make a few changes to your diet and your fitness regime, you can live a beautiful and bright life.

Ask yourself if your current diet leaves you feeling full and energized or bloated and hungry after a few hours.

See how you can start making changes to your meals to feel better after eating.

Move your body.

It doesn’t matter how, but find ways to move.

Play a game you really like in your local community – be it basketball or football.

Go dancing on the weekends or take up Zumba classes if you really enjoy dancing.

Go for walks around the block every day for 30 minutes to get some steps on your pedometer.

For me, this was a seriously hard journey.

I’ve never played sports – I lived in a country that prioritized only education. And when I entered my thirties, I noticed that I was weak, always falling ill and constantly having weird pains in my body.

So, I started small – I started watching Youtube tutorials and moved my body for 6 months. I would watch 10-20 min videos 3-5 times a week.

In 6 months, I started going to the gym because I genuinely wanted to become stronger.

As my muscles developed, I noticed that I was burning fat even when I slept. This is the biggest pro of muscle building – you burn calories even when you’re not working out and it’s the best way to lose weight and become fit.

I now have so much energy, I cannot even describe how good it feels!

11. Do a digital detox

I find myself with more hours in the day if I spend less time on Instagram or binging Netflix.

I suddenly have hours to practice the piano/read or play with my pups outside when I spend less time on my phone.

Most of us work on the computer for a living.

And if we’re going to spend more time on screens, that takes time away from our families, hobbies, and the things we love.

So, try to spend less time on social media or watching TV, and you’ll notice your life change for the better.

12. Get out of your comfort zone

If you’re constantly living within the rules you’ve set for yourself, you’re never going to learn what’s out there or discover something that will truly make you happy.

Push yourself to try new things or go out and socialize with people every week.

Talk to people every chance you get.
Pay a compliment to someone at the grocery store.
Help an older adult with their bags or help them cross the street.
Join local cooking or painting classes to meet new people and learn something fun and exciting!

I remember feeling so shy every time my partner wanted to introduce me to a new group of friends but I never regretted it because I’d learn so many new things.

I learned how to play boardgames (we now play weekly as a serious group). I learned how to talk to people and engage in good conversations.

I also learned so much about the world and learned how to travel.

Initially, it may feel awkward or scary to do this.

But as you keep pushing yourself, you’ll find life fascinating because, at the end of the day, we are all social creatures who get a lovely sense of satisfaction from connecting with other human beings.

13. Embrace the concept of starting from scratch

Embrace the concept of starting from scratch and unlearning things.

It is hard to learn new things.

No doubt.

But it is even harder to unlearn things we’ve been doing all our lives.

In the last few years, I realized that my habits and character traits really tore me apart.

I knew I had to unlearn many of them, which meant starting from scratch and accepting that I had failed.

For instance, I was a seriously controlling person. Learning to undo that took me time – I had to heal from my past traumas and realize that it’s okay to let things happen and go with the flow.

It wasn’t easy, but it was humbling.

We all make mistakes. And we all have some pretty harsh lessons that we will learn in this lifetime.

The idea behind life is to take it in our stride and look on the positive side.

It’s okay to fail.

It’s alright to start from square 1.

It’s perfectly okay to admit we’ve been doing certain things wrong and start learning something brand new.

And we can do it at any age.

There is no fixed predicament.

So, learn to unlearn things and take pride in starting from scratch!

Conclusion on pressing the reset button on life

It isn’t easy to reset your life.

Change is hard.

Especially as we grow older – because we learn to do things a certain way, and changing means going back and pressing “Undo.”

It requires humility. And most of all discipline.

It involves accepting that something is not quite right and then taking the necessary steps to make changes to help you enjoy your life more.

So, be patient with yourself because these changes will take some time to implement.

Treat yourself with the same kindness that you would show to a child.

Remember how it felt when you were young and you couldn’t figure something out – please be kind to yourself.

And start working on the changes slowly.

I wish you nothing but the best!

13 Ways to Hard Reset Your Life at Any Age

Is it possible to actually reset your life?

How do I completely reset myself?