Time for a Reset

Photo byZach ReineronUnsplash

Have you ever had those moments in your life where you felt like you needed to do a reset on some area of your life because you have hit a roadblock where things are not going the way you planned, or you just need a change? Recently, I have felt that way about several areas of my life, and I am excited to give some changes a try to feel happier and more successful.

Any athlete will tell you if you do the same routine all the time your body will become used to it, and you won’t see the same results that you would if you switched it up and did some different things. That is why I took a look at what I was doing as a writer and a runner, and how I was responding to the people around me. I wanted to revisit my why and my goals. Here is what I decided.

I have been running since my senior year in college after a year in France and my love of food left me heavier than usual. Running became my therapy and my escape. It has kept me sane through some difficult times, but several years ago when I was injured things changed. When I started to heal, I was afraid to run hard because I didn’t want to be injured again. I took it easy for a long time until recently when I decided I was tired of running scared. I wanted to run like I used to, so I stepped up to the front of a race last weekend, went out way too fast, and had a glorious time running like I used to run. I’m not going to allow fear to get in my way anymore.

My next reset is with my writing. When I retired from teaching four years ago, I was excited to have time to write. I thought I would be able to make money with my writing. Since that time, I have written three children’s books, a self-help book, a running book, and a romance. I have also written countless articles on medium and newsbreak, but I have not made much money from any of it. I know there are many possible reasons for this including maybe my writing isn’t good enough, but at this point I feel like I have tried so many things that didn’t work. I set up book signings in local bookstores, as well as a book reading/signing. They were very uncomfortable for me. Yesterday, I sat at my desk and said, “This isn’t working.” I thought it might help to take a few days away from writing, but I ultimately decided that instead of trying so hard to make money, I’m going to go back to writing because I enjoy it and see what happens.

My final reset was about how people treat me. I am a people pleaser, and I often am too passive about reacting to how people treat me. I often think I should just let it go, but I have decided that is unacceptable, so I have surprised a few family members by setting some boundaries. I have to admit that it makes me feel powerful.

What do you need to reset?