Is it time for a Fresh Start?

With the new year approaching, you may be thinking about your dreams and goals for next year and wondering is it time for a fresh start? Maybe you want to reach a certain income level or learn a new skill. Maybe you want a complete change in career or to start a new business.

Whatever your age, your business, or your stage in life… a fresh start could be exactly what you need. What’s standing between you and a brand new life? Finding a new way to do an old thing – or leaving something that is no longer working – is a wonderful way to begin again. 

What is a fresh start? 

A fresh start is a do-over or a starting of something new. Sometimes people forget their dreams, or they let them go for a number of reasons. Or maybe they want a fresh start in something they’ve never even thought of before.

I’ve had many fresh starts in my life. I did a student exchange in Japan for a year when I was a high school student, then I came home and went to university, then I had another fresh start and transferred to another university. I’ve changed jobs, moved to different countries, moved back home to New Zealand, and then back overseas again.

Life is full of opportunities. To reimagine yourself and regenerate. Life wants to be lived to its fullest potential, and it will nudge you again and again until you decide to take a chance.

A fresh start is a clearing of the mind, body, and soul to make way for new things. 

Where would you like to have a fresh start in your life? Is it your business, finances, personal style, or health? Or something else entirely? It’s time to start thinking about these areas and I will offer you specific tips and tactics to reinvent yourself and reclaim the version of yourself you always imagined. 

Why do you need a fresh start? 

Life may have started out just fine, but somewhere along the way, the lemons became more prevalent than the lemonade. Can you relate to any of these scenarios?

  • You settled for a career that has been unfulfilling
  • You never developed or pursued your personal passions
  • You fell into debt and haven’t climbed out
  • You’re over or underweight
  • You have no exercise routine whatsoever
  • You have health issues that are/were preventable
  • You wish you had a closet filled with the looks you pin on Pinterest

A fresh start makes it possible for any of these scenarios to turn around. You can have a wonderful career, and closet, and be competition-ready for a 5k. There isn’t as much as you may think holding you back. 

Now is the time! You deserve the new beginning that will restore you, make life fun again, and get you excited about each and every new day. I am thrilled to be guiding you through this challenge and encourage you to reach out and connect with me anytime and share your thoughts and ideas along the way. 

How do you know if you need a fresh start?

If you are experiencing the pangs of what might have been or longing for something you know will make your life complete, it may be time to think about reinvention. A fresh start isn’t something to feel guilty about or feel bad about. It is letting go of what isn’t serving you and saying hello to every option in the universe. 


It doesn’t require changing the things you love; it’s changing what doesn’t align anymore or beginning new things that better express who you are now.  It doesn’t mean what you were doing before was bad or wrong. It’s just time to bring in the new! 

It’s time to think about a fresh start when:

  • Your heart has a longing for something new and specific
  • You know that you need to start or stop a behaviour for your own good
  • Your life shifts through a divorce, an empty nest, lay-off, health issues, etc.
  • You find a renewed determination towards a purpose

No matter the reason that sparks your reinvention, the key is to embrace that urge and get started towards the changes you want. You deserve all good things and nothing has to stay the same. You can make dramatic changes in your life without threatening the most important things – family, friendships, and community.

Our lives are so different than they were a few generations ago. There was a time when people did not travel far from where they were born. There was no world-wide-web to explore anything and everything. It took considerable effort to investigate and explore anything of interest. People simply didn’t know what was available to them. 

Not only that, people were mostly influenced by those in fairly close proximity. There was a sameness that developed because there wasn’t much exposure to other cultures, communities, or spheres of influence. 

Today, we are able to sit at a computer and see everything that we could be enjoying. We are able to see and experiment at unprecedented levels. We don’t have to have a formal education to learn something new, and as entrepreneurs, there is no limit to what we can do in our business. The options are limitless. We can easily be taught how to manage our careers, and our income, and maximize our health. 

How to make time for a fresh start without feeling guilty

Change can be hard for many reasons. The actions you need to take to make the change can be challenging and cause some initial discomfort. Friends and family might not be supportive or on board with your decisions, and that can be triggering. Changing might require you to modify your behaviour or prioritise yourself in new ways. It’s easy to see how guilt could derail your progress. 

Signs of guilt include: 

  • Talking yourself out of your new plans
  • Feeling bad when taking time for yourself
  • Sabotaging your efforts to change

Sometimes there are growing pains for everyone involved when trying to make a fresh start. The people in your life may not have the desire to make healthier choices. That doesn’t mean there’s no hope for you. You can take specific actions to tackle the guilt that can come from making change.  

Here are 3 tips to keep in mind

#1. Give Fair Warning

When you have decided to make a fresh start, give those who may be directly affected fair warning. If your changes will affect the family unit, have a family meeting and share what changes you are about to make. Set out your expectations and do what you need to do to make certain everyone is fully aware of your intentions. If your changes will happen in your workplace or community, make a genuine effort to share your plans so people won’t be blindsided. 

#2. Be Consistent

Water seeks the path of least resistance. If you are managing people in your life who aren’t onboard with your plans, they will do what they can to try to get you off track. The more consistent you are with your plans, routines, and actions day-to-day, the more likely they will see that you are serious and won’t be deterred from your plans. Sabotage will be replaced with respect if you stick to your plans and aren’t wishy-washy. 

#3. Share Your Enthusiasm and Gratitude

The more you show how determined, excited, and committed you are to change, the more those in your life will get on board. You may even inspire them to make a fresh start themselves. Be verbal about your achievements as you see the changes coming from your fresh start. Be grateful for any sacrifices that your friends, family, or co-workers may be making and share the gratitude as often as possible. The more you spread the love, the harder it is to stop the momentum. 

If all else fails, keep your plans to yourself and work hard in the background. Your results will show them how serious you are. 

You don’t have to feel guilty when you want a fresh start. Have faith, stay the course, and don’t lose sight of your goals.

Have you felt the nudge to make a change in an area of your life?

Do you want to start something new or stop something altogether? Learn a new or better way to be?

You are fortunate to live in a time when you can explore any idea and make any change you feel called towards.

Let me know in the comments below if you think it’s time for a fresh start!

Hi Beautiful! I’m Jilanne, the founder of Soulful Planner, and I believe you are the expert of your own life. Deep down, you know what your hopes and dreams are, you just need a little bit of help to create an achievable action plan to make it happen.

Visit my digital and planner shop here.

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