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Writer's pictureZoe Cross

Resolve to reset

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and starting on the first one.”

Mark Twain



January is a big month for plans, resolutions and change. The obvious goals centre around health, finances and relationships – and these are enormous chunks of our lives to tackle, especially in the coldest, darkest months! These wholesale upheavals generate a lot of pressure and an inevitable built-in failure guarantee. The tradition for ringing in a new year with an entirely “new you” expectation is wonderfully optimistic but also a genuine challenge.

 

If you respond well to this kind of personal goal-setting, go for it. If not, you might like to consider the not-so-distant cousin of the resolution… the reset.


I love a reset. You don’t need to think in grand terms here. A reset can literally extend to any aspect of your life and, every single time, you’ll feel better for it.

 

A reset is a way of reorganising things, returning things to a baseline (at the very least) and provides an opportunity to do things differently – if you want to. A quick reset always includes an element of improvement and is so satisfying. The outcome of a task with a short time-frame way exceeds the effort you’re putting in – which makes it well worth doing.

 

Messy cutlery drawer? Have a reset. Get it all out, recycle/throw away unused items, clean the tray, replace the items and admire your handiwork. It takes 30 minutes at the most. You’ll continue to be pleased with your efforts every time you open the drawer. It’s fabulous and works for all sorts of things.

 

If you’re faced with work overwhelm, take a moment to reset. Sit down, list all your outstanding projects and all of the components that make up each one. Decide on project timeframes and take some pressure off by setting realistic completion dates. Be kind to yourself and allow a little contingency time as well. Also, start with a few of the ‘quick wins’ – easy, fast parts of the project that get it going, get you off a blank page and generate some momentum.

 

You can literally apply the reset to anything but it works particularly well to decluttering, restoring order and improving any processes you employ.  We all have blind spots in our lives – messy parts of our homes and workplace; paperwork that needs attention; appointments or calls that have to be made; health concerns that should be addressed; daily regimes that could be more effective. The list is endless. By applying the reset you are literally framing different areas of your life that you’d like to organise/improve/change. You choose the level of reset and do it at your own pace.

 

A friend of mine is incredibly untidy and, as a result, lives and works in a stressful environment. She can’t find anything, she admits that it’s not the cleanest of places and the impact on her is significant, not to mention demotivating. Once she understood the concept of the reset she was able to start creating small areas of calm, not worrying about conquering it all in one go. Little by little her life is resetting. The effect of having an organised desk amidst her very busy life is having a ripple effect. Her post now has somewhere to go, her business paperwork is finding a home and she spends less time looking for things! It’s not magic, she is inherently anarchic but she is happier.

 

Being tidier or more organised will always reduce chaos and help you restore some inner order and calm. Another way to look at a reset is to remember the mantra ‘Just one thing’. If you have a big issue to face, unpick it a bit at a time – whether that’s a health concern or decluttering the garden shed!

 

Don’t dismiss something because it takes too long. Many people say they’d love to find the time to read more. Just set aside 15 minutes over lunch or before bed and make a start. You don’t need to plan to read the whole book, just the next reading session.

If you have chosen to reset something quite mundane (sorting washing or cleaning the car) you can use this time for some mindfulness. Be in the moment and switch off whilst you complete your task. Look at what you’re doing and remember why you’re doing it.

 

Managing complex or negative emotions might lead you to work on defining them, journaling or seeking professional support. The reset works equally well for non-tangible aspects of our lives. The secret is to take steps, always forward, always positively, and don’t worry about how small each one is.

 

The reset is the master of the small step – why not try it today?

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