You don’t need to wait for a new year, a new month or even a new week to start recalibrating and resetting your life. Originally I had thought to compile an entire life reset into a single day, but then I realized just how unrealistic that was! Your current life wasn’t formed in a day, your new one won’t be either. Even following this life reset checklist will still require that you put in the work.
Maybe you’re feeling a little burned out or just unmotivated and restless. We all have those feelings occasionally. Sometimes you wish, like a computer, you could just hit CTRL + ALT + DELETE and get a fresh start. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. But it is absolutely doable.
Beginning the journey of following this life reset checklist resembles setting off on a transformative expedition. Whether you’re feeling lost, exhausted, unbalanced or overwhelmed, it’s okay to start anew. When you’re resetting your life, you’re rediscovering yourself.
Life Reset Checklist
I highly encourage you to read the full post to gain all of the benefits and give yourself the best start on this life reset you’re about to begin. This comprehensive life reset checklist goes beyond surface-level advice, it offers a detailed map for your personal reinvention.
You want to equip yourself with every tool and resource you need to navigate the challenges you might face ahead. Seize this opportunity to absorb all of the information here in order to propel yourself towards an intentional and transformative life reset.
Ok, here is the list, easy to save or print:
(click for the larger PDF version)
Clear Your Spaces
When it comes to the life reset checklist, clearing your spaces is so important. It’s not just about tidying up, it’s about creating an environment to that supports your mental clarity, productivity and wellbeing.
Clutter can accumulate without you even noticing, preventing you from growing to your fullest potential. You want to clear out the unnecessary things to make more room for the things that you want.
A clear space can help instill a true feeling of rejuvenation. Clearing your space isn’t just about getting organized; it’s about unlocking your motivation to start a new chapter.
Clear Your Mental Space
Let’s start what is probably everyone’s most cluttered space: the mind. If your goal is to reset your life, I’m going to guess there are some things that haven’t gone exactly to plan.
The past has already happened. You can’t go back. Acknowledge your experiences as the foundation of who you are. Accept your mistakes, learn from them and release any guilt or regrets that you’re still holding on to.
Do a brain dump and empty the contents of your mind out onto the page. Write down any and everything that pops up. Don’t edit yourself and don’t worry about making it neat, you can sort through it later. Just keep writing until you run out of things to put down or paper to write on.
Write down the things you’re anxious about, the things that you need to get done, the things that you need or want to remember. Write down any limiting beliefs or negative thoughts that you would like to change.
This process will help reduce the burden on your mind and may bring up thoughts you weren’t even fully aware of. Clearing your “mental cache” can help provide a clear space to reset your life.
Clear Your Digital Space
Information is shared increasingly digitally. It can be easy for unused files, e-mails and apps to pile up to the point where you can no longer focus on your work. Similar to physical clutter, even digital clutter can lead to overwhelm.
Clean up your computer desktop and the downloads folder. Same goes for your phone, especially if you take a lot of pictures, videos or screenshots. Are you holding onto files that the reset version of you will no longer need? Delete them.
Clear out your e-mail inbox and make sure to actually UNSUBSCRIBE and not just delete anything you don’t want to receive. It takes a little more time, but it’ll reduce the amount of unwanted e-mails you get in the future.
Last up are your social media pages. Unfollow, mute and block anyone that doesn’t make you feel good. You don’t have to have any reason for it other than your own mental wellbeing. Your social media feeds should make you feel empowered and ready to step into your best self – not bad about yourself.
Clear Your Physical Space
Often, physical clutter is a reflection of our internal state. A messy mind frequently leads to a messy space.
Your physical environment influences your mood, productivity and general wellbeing. Cluttered spaces tend to lead to feelings of stress and even fatigue.
Clean and organized spaces tend to lead to feelings of calm and clarity. I think we both know which one feels better. A clear and clean space is also just more visually appealing than a messy one.
That’s why it’s important to start small. Pick one specific area – a room, a corner of a room, a closet, or even a drawer. Trying to get your entire house cleaned in one session is unrealistic.
Preferably you want to pick an area that feels the most stressful. Tackling an area that bothers you can provide an immediate sense of accomplishment and help build momentum.
Take the time to do all those things that aren’t difficult, just annoying or tedious. It’s often the little 2 minute tasks that we put off for so long. Don’t know where to start?
Try some of these..
• Take time to dust – you’ll be surprised at how quickly that stuff builds up!
• Change your bed sheets and make your bed.
• Do your laundry, all of it. Fold it or hang it, and put it away.
• Wash all of your dishes. If you have a dish washer, empty it and put all of your clean dishes away.
• Clean out your fridge and freezer, it’ll give you a chance to toss anything that’s gone bad (hopefully nothing!) as well as refresh your brain on everything that you have in there.
• Sweep or vacuum.
• Especially if you have pets.
• Clean out your purses, bags or backpacks.
• Wipe down all the surfaces you can see.
• Toss out the trash.
Shift Your Mindset
One of the most important parts of any life reset checklist is adjusting your mindset. It’s very difficult to reset your life with the same mindset that got you to the point of wanting to reset. Your mindset is the structure around which your life is built. If you want to change your life, it’s essential that you change your mindset.
A self-limited mindset can be a tough barrier to get past. The more you actually believe in your abilities, the more likely you are able to succeed.
You want to make sure that you have a growth mindset. A growth mindset sees challenges as opportunities. A growth mindset also believes in the power of practice. Someone that has a growth mindset knows that practice makes improvement and that a natural talent can be surpassed by hard work.
Another reason your mindset is so important is that we tend to find what we are looking for. When you practice gratitude, you find more things to be grateful for. Likewise, when you complain, you find more things to complain about. Your thoughts play a huge role in shaping your reality – make them good ones.
Set New Goals
Figure out what living your best life looks like for you. Make sure your vision is defined and aligned with you.
Instead of trying to think about everything you want to accomplish at once, divide your goals into different categories. Try looking at your mental health, your physical health, your personal growth, your relationships, your finances and/or your career.
Once you’ve identified the goals you have and the things you want to achieve, you need to prioritize them. Which goals are the most important to you? You can only do so many things at once, so you want to focus your efforts on what matters most.
You should aim high, but you should make sure even your biggest goals are realistic to achieve. Take those huge goals and break them down into medium goals. Take those medium goals and break them into smaller goals. Take those small goals and use them to outline the specific steps you need to take and create an action plan. Take it one step at a time.
I have an entire post about setting goals if you need more guidance.
Develop New Routines
Now that you have some new goals set for yourself, it’s time to work on developing routines that will support these goals. Creating new routines aligned with your new goals is another key component of an ultimate life reset.
Now unfortunately, I don’t have digital clairvoyance, so I have no idea what your new goals are going to be. I’m not sure what actions align with what you’re aiming to achieve. What I do know is that we become our habits.
There are so many different routines in our lives, but I’m going to start with a morning routine. When you start your day on the right foot, other things just seem to fall in line.
If your goal is to be more active you may want your morning routine to include:
• getting dressed in workout clothes
• hydrating by drinking water
• eating a healthy protein breakfast
• spending time stretching your muscles
If your goal is to save money you may want your morning routine to include:
• brewing your own coffee/tea
• meal prepping your lunch
• checking your bank accounts
• turning off unused electronics
Evaluate Your Schedule
Take a closer look at your daily, weekly, and monthly activities, commitments and events. Is your schedule jam-packed and hectic, living little room for the unexpected? If that’s the case, it’s no wonder you’re feeling overwhelmed!
Naturally, there are different phases in our life that are busier than usual. But that just makes it even more important to spend your time wisely. When looking at your calendar see if there is any work that you can delegate, or any invites you might feel better declining.
There are always ways to help you save time, but your time and energy are finite. It’s important to be realistic with what we have time to achieve. You don’t want to pile more onto your plate than you can reasonably handle.
Be sure not to mistake being busy with being productive, they aren’t the same thing. Burnout is something that should be avoided, not a badge of honor. One of the ways to avoid this is by keeping your schedule organized. Make your schedule as flexible or as detailed as works for you.
Think about any appointments you might need and actually call to make them. Schedule the doctors appointment, the vet appointment, the oil change, whatever you need to. Make a note of the appointments so that you don’t forget. There are so many calendar apps out there these days and there’s probably one already installed on your phone!
Schedule Self-Care
If you struggle with making your self a priority, try scheduling time for fun and self-care. Being spontaneous is nice, but sometimes that just means we don’t do the fun stuff. Or the stuff that’s just for ourselves. It doesn’t have to be anything grand or expensive, just make some time for yourself. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too.
You know the best part about planning something fun? The anticipation. Anticipation is actually a free source of happiness. Studies have shown that the anticipation of a future fun event can induce more happiness and joy than the actual event itself. Seriously. So schedule in something for yourself!
Add Novelty
One of the best things about a life reset is that feeling of freshness. Embracing novelty can help inject a touch of that freshness.
Start by introducing a fresh element into a device you interact with daily — your phone! Consider changing your phone’s wallpaper. Opt for a motivational or inspirational image that uplifts your spirits every time it catches your eye. You could also switch out the case for even more “newness”.
Craft a new playlist for this new era of your life. Make sure the music mirrors your current aspirations. Music has the power to evoke emotions and even shape your moods. Your playlist should inspire you and infuse you with good energy.
Let your curiosity lead you to trying things you never have before. Have you always wanted to paint but never tried? Now is the perfect time to acquire new skills. The internet is a wealth of information and can help you learn things without ever leaving the house, so you have no excuses!
Better yet, try giving this new time of your life it’s own theme word. What is this going to be a season of for you – abundance, balance, discipline, growth? Really put some thought into what your word is going to be.
Reconnect with Yourself
This is an element this life reset checklist couldn’t be without. A life reset isn’t just about changing your life, it’s also about getting back to basics. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, we can sometimes lose touch with who we are.
It’s very difficult to reconnect with yourself when you aren’t present in the moment. That’s why you have to take time to help quiet your mind. Integrate some sort of mindfulness practice into your routines. The most popular
You also want to think about the things that you used to enjoy doing before life got so busy. Reconnecting with your passions and hobbies can bring you genuine joy and fulfillment. Hobbies can offer a much needed escape from the stresses of daily life. It doesn’t matter what you choose to pursue, just that these pursuits fuel you instead of deplete you. Reclaim your playful spirit that’s been overshadowed by time and adult responsibilities.
Ok, that’s your ultimate life reset checklist! I know. It was a lot. It will take you considerably longer to implement all of these strategies than it did for you to read this post. But I am confident that if you complete the above activities you will feel like you hit the reset button your life. You will be fully refreshed!
If this all just sounds too overwhelming, but you still want a bit of that refreshed feeling, you like that feeling I have 15 ideas for a mini weekly life refresh that you can pick and choose from.
Now please let me know, which one of these was your favorite or left you feeling the most reset?
originally posted April 25, 2021 | hugely updated January 17, 2024
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