“You don’t need a new day to start over, you only need a new mindset.”
-Hazel Hira Ozbek
There is nothing like being able to have a fresh start. Having a fresh start brings excitement and gives you hope and expectation that things will be better this time around. Sometimes you may feel like you have to wait for a certain day or time in order to start over, but what if I told you that you can start over today? Or even right now at this very moment? You don’t have to wait for a certain day or time to make a change, all you have to do is shift your mindset and move forward. This may be easier said than done, but it’s possible to change at any moment. The change must first start with your mindset. “Change your thinking and it’ll change your life.”
Although major change takes time, there are little things that you can do each day to set the tone for the change that you want to make. If I decided that I wanted to lose weight, one small adjustment that I could make each day is to drink more water than normal. If I try change so much at one time it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but if I focus on making small adjustments everyday overtime things will change. It’s the same with everyday life, depending on the goals you have. Determine what small things you can do each day to set the tone for the type of change you desire.
I remember when I first started my health and fitness journey which was a disaster the first time around back in 2020. I would stop and start again and continue to same cycle until I eventually got tired and was determined to get it right. What I really needed was a mindset shift and that’s exactly what it took to help me to kickstart my transformation. I had to really believe that I could accomplish my goal. I had to encourage myself that I could do the little things required each day in order to reach my goals. I often had to remind myself that baby steps adds up. I had to shift my thinking in order to be fully present in the process.
As I mentioned in my blog post last week, I started my health and fitness journey in 2020 the year of the pandemic and I made very little progress. January of last year I made a commitment and was truly determined to reach my goal. I ended up crushing my goal and now I am working on the next. I’ve come so far but the journey hasn’t been easy. It took a lot of mental and physical strength. I’ve learned how to push myself and train my mind to think differently. When I am doing a hard workout I always tell myself that I can do it and I end up doing exactly what is in my mind. I’ve learned that the mental and physical really do work together. Whatever you believe in your mind you can accomplish, you will.
If you really want to reach certain milestones you have to train yourself to think differently. You have to visualize yourself doing the thing you want to accomplish and believe that you can achieve it. You will have obstacles but learn to see those obstacles as opportunities. It take a lot of courage to train your mind to think differently because it goes against the thoughts that comes naturally. But if you want to reach a goal you have to be willing to try something new to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
It takes courage to change. Change is not always easy and is often a process. The plus side about life is that any moment we can make a decision to change.
So, how can you start and finish strong? These are some things that I have learned from my journey:
1. Make a plan
Without a clear plan nothing will last. Planning helps to give you direction as you are moving forward towards change. If you know how to get to where you want to go, you are more likely to make it there. This is why planning is so important in ensuring that you reach your goal. Would you build a house without a plan or some sort of direction? Of course not. So we shouldn’t build our lives without one either. The plan doesn’t have to be perfect and you can always make adjustments along the way, but having a plan is better than no plan at all.
2. Start Small
Start by taking small steps. What’s small things can you do today to set the tone for change in your life. It could be as simple as waking up earlier, reading a small devotion every morning, taking a short walk, etc. Depending on the goals that you have take time to discover what works for you.
3.Stay Consistent
Consistency is so important in making long term change. It’s not easy to be consistent because sometimes things come up and can through your whole day off but even if you mess up be determined to get back on track. The great thing about consistency is that it builds overtime. You may not see major results in the beginning but if you stay consistent results will show and you will surely reach your goal.
Don’t put off making the changes you desire to see in your life. At any moment you can start fresh. It may not be easy but you can do it, take time to make a plan, start with small steps and stay consistent and overtime you will see results. Life is so precious and you only get one so make it count. Take time to think about the things you really want to do, take a step out and just try. When you make mistakes don’t be hard on yourself. Give yourself space to grow, the process won’t be perfect. You can do it.
Thanks for reading, I hope this encourages you!
What’s one goal you want to reach before the end of this year? Comment below I would love to hear your story.
Intentional Hope 