Don’t you love the month of April? It’s the month of new beginnings, where the world seems to awaken from the stillness of winter. As the days grow longer and the air warmer, there’s a sense of renewal and the vibe feels like possibility. The soft, budding flowers, the vibrant green of new leaves, and the gentle rains all signal a time for fresh starts. Whether it’s beginning new projects, setting personal goals, or simply embracing change, the month of April encourages us to shed the old season and step into a season of growth and transformation. It’s a reminder that every day offers a chance to begin anew.
Life gives us plenty of fresh starts, too. We often don’t recognize many of new possibilities, because the situations resulting in them leave us with heartache or disappointment. A relationship falls apart, we don’t get the job we really wanted, our dream beach vacation proves to be a rain-soaked disaster – there are any number of situations in which we feel like we’ve walked right into that wall.
Is it time for your own fresh start? It could be if you answer any of these questions with a yes:
- Do you feel like you’re simply going through the motions day after day?
- When you wake up, do you still feel drained or uninspired?
- Is there something you want to do, but you keep pushing it aside?
- Do you spend a lot of time daydreaming about how you want your life to be?
- Is your career, your relationships, or other parts of your personal life unfulfilling?
Fresh starts give us the chance to focus on what’s really important to us and build a life that’s more satisfying and meaningful. They let us focus on what’s ahead. Making the most of those opportunities involves seven simple steps:
- Know your vision. Deep down, you know what you really want from life. Take some time to reflect on where you want to be and if you’re heading in the right direction to get there.
- Face your fear. We all have fears, but we don’t have to let them stop us from taking a step forward. Identify what underlines that fear and put it in it’s proper place.
- Take one small step. Even if your goals are huge, your plan for achieving them will involve small steps. Forward is forward, no matter how small the step. Take just one at a time.
- Learn from the past. Fresh starts don’t eliminate past hurts and setbacks, but you can learn the lessons needed to become stronger and more resilient.
- Self care. Fresh starts are fun, but sometimes require a lot of energy. You and your future are worth giving yourself permission to care for yourself along the way. Build in time to recharge and celebrate the steps you’re making.
- Engage your tribe. Let the people you trust to encourage and uplift you know what you’re working on so they can give you the support you as you keep moving forward.
- Embrace the unexpected. There will always be unexpected twists and turns. Stay focused and brave with addressing those. Surprises may be God’s way of guiding us to the best path.
Ready to get started on your fresh start? If you’re still not sure what you really want your life to be and how to get there, a counselor can be a big help. Talking to a counselor may seem like talking to a friend, but the big difference is that your friend probably doesn’t have the training and experience to help you understand what you’re feeling and create a plan for feeling better. If you’re ready for a fresh start but just need help getting started, why not sit down with one of our counselors today?