“Why let go of yesterday? Because yesterday has already let go of you.”
— Steve Maraboli
There are some things in our lives that we may wished that we could erase. These are usually painful experiences like the loss of an important relationship, the loss of a job or the death of a loved one. No decision that we make can be undone neither can the painful things that happen to us or around us. However, this doesn’t mean that we can’t recover and start a fresh journey. Sometimes recovery happens with the assistance of a therapist, counselor, family, or friends. However, research also shows that new beginnings in our lives can also occur as a result of the “Fresh Start Effect” which are inspired by special occasions or distinct events known as “temporal landmarks”.
According to behavioral scientists,“temporal landmarks” gives life structure and boost our motivation to pursue goals. Examples of “temporal landmarks” include: beginning of a new year, start of a new week, special occasions (like birthdays or anniversaries), moving to a different location, a job change, or a romantic breakup.
Here are three important tips as you embark on your new journey:
- DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL
Albert Einstein once said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new”.
When we set out on a new path, there are going to be dangerous roads and pitfalls. It’s simply a part of life. We have all failed at something at some point in our lives, whether it involved a relationship, a job or school. We also often fail as we are trying to gain our indepence such as when learning how to drive a vehicle, learning how to ride a bike without training wheels or learning how to cook a meal with ruining it or always having to follow a receipe.
Winston Churchill once said, Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage that counts”.
Find comfort in knowing that failing is something that we all have in common….so go forth without fear!
- CELEBRATE EVERY MILESTONE
“Rome wasn’t built in a day” is an idiom which means that major achievements take time.
Everyone’s journey through life is different. Influencing factors include: family upbringing, cultural norms, personal values, and our social environment. There also may be personal sacrifices that you make that others may never understand, yet these sacrifices were/are a tremendous milestone along your personal journey towards achieving your goals.
Celebrating your milestones are so very important even if you have to sometime do it ‘inwardly and alone’. Keep in mind that sometimes some of our greatest achievements and breakthroughs may happen when no one is watching.
- STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND TRY NEW THINGS
The journey towards starting afresh can be intimidating. However, to effect change may sometimes required that you do new things. For example, if you are interesting in embarking on a new relationship, this may require you to explore new dating opportunites like joining dating sites, meet up group, etc. If your goal is to lose weight, perhaps it’s time for you to consider joining a support group so that you want feel isolated on your journey towards improving your health.
The New Year is an good time to set new goals, change habits, and recover from painful memories and experiences. You hold the key to ‘your’ brighter tomorrow!