Ever feel like your life is chaotic and spiralling out of control? Or like something isn’t quite right, you just can’t put your finger on what? It might be time for a reset!
I decided it’s time for a massive reset of my own life as I lay in bed with one of the nastiest chest infections I’ve ever had (which is also why I haven’t written any articles for a while).
The illness hasn’t just slowed me down but brought me to a screeching halt, and it was during this time of stillness and inaction that I realised I’d fallen off the wagon with several aspects of my life.
I’d started drinking again (although not while I’ve been ill), I couldn’t bring myself to see friends, my phone screen time was cringe-inducing, I’ve been eating too many sugary foods, and the great writing habit I built through NanoWriMo has vanished into a void.
I also realised that I’m surrounded by unfinished projects and unfulfilled promises to myself. Those kinds of broken promises are the worst because when you break a promise to yourself, you lose faith in your abilities.
On reflection I realised I’m going through another bout of autistic burnout. Autistic burnout isn’t quick or easy to recover from, so I decided a mammoth reset was in order.
But when you’ve fallen so far off the ladder, what do you do?
You start small. You climb each rung again until you’re strong enough to haul your ass back to the top. The great thing about this approach is that you’ve been there before. You’ve already climbed those rungs, so it’s not as hard as it was when you first started. The one thing to keep in mind here is being mindful of what knocked you down in the first place, and what you can do to make your ladder stronger.
Which parts need improving or removing altogether?
Or…
Have you been climbing the wrong ladder all along? The one you feel you should climb because that’s the one everyone else is climbing?
Sometimes, due to masking (which I don’t always realise I’ve been doing until it’s too late) I fall into the latter. But it’s actually times like these that falling off the ladder is a blessing because I can start again up the right one.
No matter your ladder situation, it’s never too late to hit reset and try again. Getting back up is a key thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful. But don’t be afraid to try something completely different and unconventional if the same things keep going wrong.
Remember, you can’t follow the same worn trail, turn at the same familiar road signs and expect a different destination.
So, how am I doing this Big Reset?
One of the first steps I’ve taken is to buy myself a cheap dumb phone (a purple Nokia 110) and shut my smartphone in a drawer. I will be documenting my experience so you can look forward to reading about life without a smartphone in 2024.
I’ve also gone back to using my MacBook purely as a writing and productivity tool. Somehow, I’d slipped into using it as a big screen social media browser – oops!
Additionally, I’ve dramatically reduced the sugary snacks available to me in my cupboards. It’s so easy to reach for a cake or a few cookies when you’re stressed, but it’s so much easier to reach for a sweet piece of fruit or 90% dark chocolate instead when that’s all that’s available.
The easiest way to make changes in your life is to change your environment and remove temptations. Set yourself up for success and watch the wins build up.
The more you see yourself win the more motivated you become. Every single day you have the power to start fresh. To reflect and restart.
So, I ask you, if you could reset anything in your life right now, what would it be? Your habits? Your beliefs? Your career? Your love life? Your finances?
Regardless of your answer, start small and you can reset right now. There’s no time like the present to hit reset. There’s no limit on the number of times you can do so, and there’s nothing like a fresh start.