The Art of Starting Over

Are we really going to talk about starting over already?  It is still January!  That doesn’t sound like the cheerful advice we need at this point of the year!  We are three weeks into the new year and if you are anything like most Americans you have already slipped up on some of your New Year’s goals.  Don’t worry, I am not here to shame you for your failures, or to give you a fake pep talk.  As I have gotten older and lived this whole goal cycle over and over, I am beginning to see that just maybe the art of starting over is more important than the expectation of perfection.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

The Cycle

Do we even really need to review the goal setting cycle?  It probably feels familiar to us all.  But maybe you haven’t actually put your finger on verbally identifying it’s pattern.  So let’s talk through it together.  First, we start off inspired, excited and energetic.  We make big goals and we KNOW we are going to reach them!  There is confidence behind our plan to get there and we jump in with both feet!  

We are doing great, at least at first.  The length of time you experience this success depends on your personality, season of life, and the goal you are working toward.  Sometimes this success period may last only a few days or weeks.  Perhaps you are a master of self-discipline and you are able to even last for a few months.  You may see progress toward your ultimate goal during this phase and while the initial energy may subside a bit, you are still staying the course!   

Unfortunately, something always seems to derail this success.  There are as many reasons to get off course as there are goals.  But ultimately, your progress towards your goal stops, and may even go in the opposite direction.  Maybe a birthday comes and the temptation of that cake is enough to let go of your healthy eating goals.  It could be an unexpected sickness comes and your goals are derailed while you are sick in bed.  But SOMETHING always seems to come along and stop our forward progress. 

The last step in the cycle for me and many others has typically been the feelings of guilt and shame that once again we could not achieve our goals.  How did this happen again?  Why can’t we seem to get this right?  The questions swirl about until the next New Year’s comes and we determine that this new year will be the one that is different!

Release the Guilt

It is the last step in this cycle that I began to examine and change.  The guilt and shame I would feel when I came up short of my goal was so unmotivating and unhelpful.  I really had to examine what was really going on in my heart.  And were my emotions based on what is true or a lie? 

When I really took the time to process my thoughts and emotions, I realized that old perfection monster was at play again.  The belief that my efforts and really myself were only valuable if they were moving towards success.  That if I wasn’t perfect, than I should at least ALWAYS be moving towards perfection.  

Writing it down makes it even more obvious how flawed that thinking is.  As a Christian, I know my value comes from nothing but being a child of God.  It is crazy to think that I can always be moving towards perfection without  mistakes and wrong turns splattered in along the way.  Changing my outlook allowed me to shift my expectations for my goals.  Of course I was going to fail.  In fact, I could expect that their would be failure on my path, but I no longer needed to end the cycle there.    

New Beginnings

So now when I think about my New Year’s goals I think of perfecting the art of starting over instead of walking a perfect path to success.  There is a verse in the Bible, in the book of Psalms that says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”  This has been a verse on my heart as I have been thinking about my goals for this year.

I have decided that this year it is far more important to me that I claim his mercies and start anew each morning.  Maybe I did a great job with my goals yesterday or maybe I didn’t.  But regardless, today is a new day and I can start with a clean slate.  One of my goals for this year is to go read through the Bible using the Bible Recap reading plan and podcast.  No matter what the day before me looked like, I can refocus and spend time in God’s word that day.  I don’t have to do extra to earn my place back.  I can simply start again with today.  

So this year I am replacing the last step in my cycle.  I am letting go of the shame and guilt. Instead when I inevitably fail, my last step will be to thank God for His new mercies and to start again.  Accept that this is part of the imperfect life we live here on earth and continue to dedicate this new day to the goals I believe God has put before me this year.

Does any of this resonate with you?  I would love to hear from you!  Send me an email or leave a comment and tell me how you are learning to perfect the art of starting again!

Want to journey along this road of motherhood together?  Subscribe below to get our weekly Mom Moments and educational freebies in your inbox!

Want to connect with your child through learning?  Check out my Preschool Made Easy Program to teach your preschooler at home!

Or check out the posts below for more FREE learning activities.

Let’s stay in touch!!  Click the icons below to follow me on social media.