“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” Paulo Coelho
As the buzz of the ‘new year’ is beginning to wain, it’s an excellent opportunity to ask yourself, “How are you doing?” No, really, go deep and ask again, “How are you doing?”
If you wavered a bit when answering this question, it could be a fantastic opportunity to think about refreshing parts of your life. After all, we all benefit from the occasional fresh start. This strategy proves to be especially true when we discover that we’re unhappy or dissatisfied with some aspect of our lives.
For many of us, change can feel difficult and uncomfortable. Because of this, we often overlook the signals in our lives telling us that we’re ready to switch things up. Here are several signs you can watch out for that will help you determine when it’s truly best for you to make a change.
See if you resonate with any of these statements.
Everything Seems to be Dragging
If you feel like you’re standing still or that your progress is moving forward by inches, not miles, then you may be ready for a change. Are you no longer feeling challenged in your life? How are you holding yourself back?
You Feel Like a Failure
It’s not uncommon for us to focus on the areas of life where we struggle. This focus may lead us to think that we’re failing inaccurately. Has it been a while since you’ve felt successful at anything? If that feels true for you, don’t worry. You’re not failing. It’s more likely that you’re pursuing the wrong goals. Spend some time reviewing your goals and make sure that they make you excited to think about them.
You Feel Like You’re in a Rut
We all get those weird ideas that doing a particular thing that may not make sense but feels like the entirely right thing to do at the moment. We become energetic, enthusiastic, and can’t wait to get started when that happens. If you’re in a place where this feeling seems unfamiliar to you and your excitement meter is at zero, then it’s time for a change.
You Feel Anxious
Anxiety is worry turned inward. What is it you’re afraid of? How is life delivering you too much stress for too little reward? Many times these feelings point to something unresolved in our life. See if you can discover what needs to be resolved to be confident and more at peace about the future and your place in it.
You Feel Stuck
Sometimes we feel stuck because we’re carrying a lot of psychological baggage from our past. Our baggage takes the form of negative self-talk about mistakes we’ve made in the past. If you find yourself contemplating on things in the past that didn’t go as planned, then it’s time to let go and start fresh.
Everyone needs a fresh start at some point in their life. Knowing when to change can be tricky to determine. It’s easy to get caught up in our day-to-day activities and overlook the apparent signals we need to change. Slow down and listen for the clues telling you it’s time to change.
If you resonated with something on this list, it’s time to consider making a fresh start in your life. This is an exciting place to be. A space where you get to plan your next steps and decide for yourself just what you want your life to look like. The key here is to take this knowledge and act. Your fresh start won’t happen sitting around and hoping. You need to act if you expect to succeed.
