Get ready for a new year with a ‘Life Reset’

Every so often, I do a ‘life reset’ exercise which helps me to focus on what’s really going on in my life and how I can work towards my goals.

If you think of how often you need to change over the size of your child’s clothes (every season or every few months), it reminds you that life doesn’t often look exactly the same from one season to another. Doing a reset means that you examine what’s going on in your life so that you can start with a clear picture and then make decisions that will support and help you to do what needs to get done!

The benefits of doing a reset include:

  • Clarity about your current commitments
  • A realistic picture of how your family is spending their time (and how much time you spend as the taxi-driver!)
  • A chance to set some goals and create a plan to achieve those goals
  • Time to stop and think about what you need to take care of yourself and your family

There are five steps I suggest in the life reset exercise – keep reading to find out more!

Reset Step 1 – STOCKTAKE

Start off by creating a written ‘snapshot’ of your family.

Write down each person in your family and what everyone is doing.

This creates a map for your time and energy and also highlights areas where people might need extra support.

You might consider:

  • Your kids, how old they are, what year they are in at school/days at care/days at home
  • Your work/volunteer roles and commitment per week (and your partner’s)
  • Other regular commitments like sport/hobbies/appointments

Write it all down so that it’s there like a map for your year ahead!

Reset Step 2 – REVIEW

By looking back and learning from the past, we can help shape our future to be more of how we want it to be!

Start by getting a piece of paper and splitting it into three columns – label them ‘Stop’, ‘Start’ and ‘Keep Doing’.

Then have a think about what’s been working for you, and what hasn’t. Write things in the relevant column.

You might consider:

  • Are there any habits or life hacks that you’ve thought would be a great idea that you haven’t implemented yet? (Start doing)
  • Are there any time wasters that you’d like to give up (Stop doing)
  • Have you implemented any tools or priorities that are working really well for you? (Keep doing)

Reset Step 3 – PLANNING

After doing a Stocktake and a Review, now we look forward – and do some planning!

This is about planning goals or priorities for the next season. You might make them for the coming month, quarter or year – it’s up to you! (I usually make my goals every school Term/every three months – because I can’t think much beyond that)

Set your goals by listing major areas of your life – Family, Home, Work, Fun & Friends, Health, Finances, etc, and then thinking about what you would like to achieve in each area in the time frame you’ve decided.

Consider:

  • Any events that are coming up that will require your time and attention
  • Think about family goals as well as individual goals that you might have

Reset Step 4 – PREPARE

This step is about finding and preparing the tools that will help you with your organisation.

Have a think about what will really help you to manage your time and support you working towards the goals you created in the last step.

  • Need a meal planner? Spend 10 minutes finding or creating one today.
  • Need a new to-do list? Have a think about what you want to try, and create it!
  • Need to declutter your entire house? Why not do some research on ways to get started (or research professional organisers in your area!)


If you’re after tools to help you manage your mental load, check out Coaching Mum’s free Resource Library.

Reset Step 5- CELEBRATE!

As mums, we often just keep going – day to day, from one task to the next – and we never actually celebrate our progress or even give ourselves a pat on the back!

In this step, I want you to make a list of things that you can do to acknowledge and celebrate each achievement along the way. It doesn’t have to be big, fancy and expensive. When I lived with a friend many years ago, we celebrated finishing our housecleaning by lighting a scented candle! Your celebration could be as simple as a special cup of tea.

Another way to approach this is to look again at your goals and creating some celebrations when you achieve particular goals. For example, just recently we rewarded our kids after a whole day of cleaning and tidying the lounge room by getting pizza for dinner.

The goal of this step is to have fun and feel good about the journey of everyday life!

Have fun! x

Want some help to make 2021 a great year?

Sometimes just talking through your goals and helping you to create a strategy and overcome your fears is all you need to get you started towards a great outcome.

If you’re feeling a bit stuck, why not book in for a coaching session? It’s an investment of 60 minutes and $60, and together we’ll get you sorted for the coming year. https://coachingmum.as.me/getset

About The Author

Tanya

Tanya lives in Canberra with her husband and two sons. She is passionate about helping women to live fulfilled, purposeful lives. She enjoys reading, cooking, craft and creating memorable moments for her family.