How To Start Fresh In Life: A Realistic Guide (For The 40+)

“Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be.” 

Marsha Petrie Sue

Have you ever longed for a fresh start? Do you want to begin anew with a clean slate and every possibility in front of you? You are not alone!!

By the time we reach midlife, most of us often ask ourselves how to start fresh in life. On average, everyone desires a new beginning in some area of life. And the truth is, it is perfectly normal to want to start over from scratch at one time or another.

As we reach our 40s, we often find ourselves at a juncture where past choices intersect with future possibilities. Whether you’re considering switching careers, starting a new relationship, pursuing a long-held passion, or simply seeking greater fulfillment and purpose in life, restarting is not only achievable but essential for personal growth.

Starting a new chapter can seem daunting, but it’s never too late to rewrite your story. In this post on how to restart life as a 40-plus individual, we will explore practical steps and mindset shifts that can help you see through this transitional period with confidence and optimism.

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Let Go Of Your Past And Make A Fresh Start

I have a friend who is in a terrible marriage. She wants to get out of that toxic relationship and initiate a fresh start but is not able to. Like her, there are many who, past their midlife, want to restart their lives in different areas, be it their career, or relationships, but are unable to.

The reason for this is that they tend to feel guilty about change, so they stay doing the same thing, even when

• It’s unhealthy
• It’s boring
• It’s overwhelming

Of course, a fresh start won’t always be able to solve the problem. Some commitments are meant to be kept, but you often cling to things that no longer suit you rather than move on in a new direction.

If you are holding back from launching into something new because you feel guilty, stop! Instead, get excited about all the possibilities that come with starting over.

Whether you begin January 1, next Monday, or on your 45th birthday, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a jumping-off point and going for it. From choosing a new career or starting a new habit to moving to a new city, there is power in choosing a fresh start.

You can Download the Goal Planner we have designed for you using Creative Fabrica to set effective goals for the new start you are about to make!!

A Fresh Start Can Change Your Life

Every new year, millions of people make resolutions to start fresh, drop old habits, set personal goals, and create a new life. This is called the fresh start effect. 

There’s something about the ending of one year and the beginning of a new one that triggers the desire for change. It’s the same with milestones like birthdays or important anniversaries. The passing of one year into the next creates a yearning for something bigger and better than the year before.

Each Sunday, do you not prep for a new week and see Monday as a starting point where anything is possible?

When a milestone prompts change, people become highly motivated to make it happen. It helps them reflect on where they thought they would be and whether or not they reached their health, wealth, or other goals.

This allows them to introspect and get over the feeling of being stuck in their lives.

How To Start Fresh In Life When You Are Over 40

You may be one step away from starting over and changing your life. Even if it feels risky or uncertain, it is worth the effort to try and see how things play out. One day, you will be proud of yourself for daring to move out of your comfort zone.

By the time you reach the age of 40, you already have a lot of experience behind your back. You can use those experiences to make a fresh start in life.

Follow your gut. Take the leap and see what happens. Life often presents great opportunities for a new beginning, be on the lookout for scenarios for change.

This can be anything like your kids passing out of school, which leaves you with an empty nest. Instead of getting depressed about the empty house, make use of the free time that you have in hand to pursue a new skill.

The recent pandemic taught us how life can change in a day, and you can be without a job or be laid off anytime. Yet if you have the right mindset and are ready to hit the reset switch, you will be able to embrace all the changes with a smile.

These life events, and others, present the opportunity to make changes, grow yourself, and do something new. This is why lifelong learning should always be a part of your bucket list when you set life goals for yourself.

Unless you are hurting others or disrupting the safety and well-being of your family, you can consider starting over in any number of areas.

Don’t be afraid to make changes and try new things. Allow yourself to become everything you were meant to be. 

I decided to turn a new leaf by starting this blog. I was weary at first as the process involved learning a new skill and required time commitment. Yet, I wanted to try it out and did not give up.

In my journey, I have met many such people who have started their entrepreneurial journey by taking that first step because they wanted a reboot in life and to explore something new.

I am at the moment a part of the Pips group of bloggers started by Sadie Smilie, and every day I meet women bloggers who decided to embark on a new journey and today are a source of inspiration to others. One thing common among most of them is that they are mostly all women over the age of 40.

I met Pam, who is today running a successful membership in Canva Creations with Pam and teaches you designing skills on Canva. 

I met Marj Bates, who started her blog, declutterbuzz.com successfully.

If you want some inspiration to start something new, you can check out the PIPs group, which essentially teaches you how to blog to earn a passive income.

Alternatively, you can check out these 250 digital product ideas, which can give you an idea of all the products you can create and give you a head start.

How To Overcome The Negative Thoughts In Your Mind About Making A Fresh Start in Life (In Your Forties And Beyond)

There is nothing wrong with giving up your old life and making a fresh start when you feel stuck in life.

Wiping the slate clean and beginning again in a new and better direction can motivate you to make big changes in your health, finances, or relationships.

Think of all the positives about restarting life. You meet new people, you get to explore new places, and you learn new skills. You feel like you are back in your twenties when you felt that you could achieve anything in your life.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the idea of making significant changes in your life?

Make small adjustments to your habits or preferences that boost your happiness and satisfaction. This will be a good place to start if you feel overwhelmed by the idea of making major changes in your life.

Change can be hard, but a fresh start is always motivating. Getting past the roadblocks keeping you from making changes is the first step. Whether you want to make sweeping changes or seemingly insignificant ones, there may be some powerful reasons you’re hesitating.

Some of them may include:

• Analysis paralysis
• Fear of judgment
• Feeling stuck

These three culprits tend to hold people back from a fresh start. Here’s how:

Analysis paralysis creates a never-ending loop: Before you make changes, you spend time weighing the pros and cons and evaluating what it takes for a fresh start. You often get stuck in the loop of overthinking and never make changes. 

What to do about it: Give yourself a time limit and set a date for your fresh start. Decide to move forward, whether you feel fully prepared or not.

Giving yourself a deadline for making a fresh start can help you mentally close the loops and prepare for changes. Instead of waiting to start afresh when you have everything figured out, decide to commit to change and figure it out as you go.

Fear of judgment petrifies you: We live in a community. We are never truly alone, and our decisions often affect more than just ourselves. Depending on the structure of your friends, family, and career, you may be more or less influenced by what other people think.

This can make change harder than it would be if you only had yourself to consider. Sometimes it leads to setting aside what you want out of fear and the obstacles that may come in your way.

What to do about it: In the end, it’s important to do what’s best for you and your immediate family.

While you shouldn’t ever act selfishly when making decisions that could have an impact on others, the majority of your decisions are your own, so you shouldn’t let outside pressure influence them. Build the confidence to make a fresh start when you feel the need to change.

Feeling stuck limits your options: One of the easiest ways to talk yourself out of a fresh start is to believe you can’t have one.

Feeling stuck can lead to depression and anxiety and compound an already difficult situation. It can adversely affect your mental health. Yet, most of the time, you are not truly stuck; you simply perceive that you are.

What to do when you feel stuck in life: Feeling stuck can lead to hopelessness and helplessness. It may be a good time for outside help.

Take the help of your support system. Talk to a trusted friend or therapist who can help you see a path to a fresh start. You may be too caught up in your thoughts to see what someone else can easily see for you.

Everyone deserves a fresh start, and most agree that when they take the plunge, they are grateful they did and wish they hadn’t waited.

Don’t fall for these common traps that prevent you from reinventing yourself. Overcome your thoughts and get the fresh start you deserve.

Please read the book “A Year of Positive Thinking.” by  Cyndie Spiegel. The book has lots of affirmations and daily reflections that help you visualize and live your best life.

Can A Small Action Motivate You To Make A Fresh Start?

If making a fresh start is a foreign concept for you, there’s a simple way to begin: clean your closet.

Yes, you read it right!! Cleaning your closet, literally and metaphorically, can help you get comfortable and more confident with hitting the reset button.

Small Changes Make A Big Difference

Sorting through clutter and revamping your spaces is the perfect way to embark on a clean and fresh start!!

Deciding to keep, give away, or discard items is the perfect practice for decluttering and starting over in other areas of life.

The same concept translates to clearing clutter in your mind. Sorting through your beliefs, and behaviors, and focusing on cleaning up your mindset can help prepare you mentally for a fresh start in other areas.

It may seem like clearing the clutter from your closet won’t change your life, but it can make a big difference.

The feelings of satisfaction that come from purging items, organizing the remaining items, and seeing a project to completion can be a springboard for more change.

Start Small and Build Stamina Over Time

If you lack the confidence you need to make a fresh start in a big way, start small and tackle something small. You beat your habit of procrastinating by taking the plunge.

This can create stamina and momentum that build over time. Before you know it, it’s much easier to cut clutter, habits, and ties that hold you back and kick-start the new journey you desire.

If you find yourself procrastinating way too often about everything in life, Download the Ebook 7 Days To Beat Procrastination.

Tips for Tiny Fresh Starts that Build Confidence

Purge your wardrobe: Check your closet for items you haven’t worn, are outdated, or no longer fit.

Encourage yourself to separate them into three piles: keep, donate, or discard. As lifestyle influencer Marie Kondo says, if an item doesn’t spark joy, it needs to go.

Discard a limiting belief: Cleaning your closet is a metaphor for dumping anything that doesn’t suit your best self.

Your beliefs may be keeping you from a fresh start. Choose a belief that’s holding you back and clean it out of your mental closet. Focus on one belief rather than trying to change your entire mindset.

Tackle one home repair: Whether you own or rent your home, chances are there’s a repair that’s been on the back burner. Believe it or not, failing to take care of repairs can affect your confidence.

When you know you should take care of something, but keep putting it off, it triggers a sense of dread or guilt. Tackle one problem and see it through. This will spark confidence and a sense of pride.

If you’re not used to giving yourself a fresh start, it can feel awkward. Instead of diving in head first, try taking a small step instead.

Focus on a small task or mental challenge to get used to making a fresh start and build your stamina over time. Before you know it, embracing a fresh start will be as common as brushing your teeth.  

Mindset Is Everything When You Want To Make A Fresh Start

Believe in yourself, even when it feels like no one else does.

When it comes to making a fresh start, sometimes you have to believe in yourself. If you’re used to receiving the acceptance and approval of others in everything you do in life, believing in yourself may feel strange initially.

Have Confidence On Yourself 

The admonition that you should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes is designed to get you to be non-judgmental about others and why they do the things they do.

No one else walks in your shoes or knows you better than yourself. Everyone uses filters when observing other people. Sometimes their filters are accurate, but mostly they aren’t.

That’s why it’s important to believe and have confidence in your decisions since you have all the information inside of you about why you want or need a fresh start.

Have compassion for yourself, and take care of the distractions playing inside your head. Alternatively, use the visualization technique to manifest your future life.

All these things require patience but will only help you initiate a fresh perspective and confidence about your decision to start afresh.

Please read the book Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears, by Pema Chodron which is an excellent read for those who want to change their life for the better, but need to overcome their fears.

Confident People Act Despite Fear

It may seem like other people live in a bubble where nothing bad happens to them. You feel that other people can take risks and get a fresh start unscathed.

Most likely, that’s not true. Having the confidence for a fresh start is less about being fearless and more about fearing less.

It’s about doing things even when you are afraid or when those around you predict bad things will happen. Sometimes a fresh start requires walking into the unknown.

You’ll Learn from Experience

Here’s the thing. Even if you make the wrong choice, it’s yours to make. Aside from choices that will directly hurt others, it’s okay to try and fail.

So give yourself a fresh start and see where things go. It’s ok to say goodbye to something or someone, in the hopes that commencing afresh will be better in the long run.

Do not wait for validation from others except your immediate family, and you are good to go.

Success in Your Path Increases Confidence

Making changes and reaching goals despite the naysayers is highly gratifying. Perhaps they didn’t believe in you in the beginning, but your fresh start may inspire others to do the same.

Winning against the odds or the advice of others builds incredible confidence and makes it easier every time you decide to make changes.

Knowing you accomplished something others thought you could not is a wonderful feeling everyone should experience. Believing in yourself is one of the greatest acts of self-love. Do not wait for others to support you, support yourself!

No one knows what you are capable of, what you can endure, or what you can accomplish. Believe in yourself, and let those who don’t stand back and watch you dive into your fresh start with confidence.

Keep Your Fear At Bay And Be Optimistic About The Future

Are you afraid of a fresh start because you are scared of what you may lose? It is natural to be comfortable in the known, and a fresh start can mean walking into the unknown.

That can be scary and prevent you from taking the bold leap forward into a fresh start.

When you drive, you use the windshield of your car to look ahead towards where you’re going. The windshield is large and helps you see ahead and the peripheral areas surrounding the car.

Your car is also equipped with a rear-view mirror that helps you see what’s behind. The rearview mirror is much, much smaller than the large windshield.

That’s because what lies ahead of you is much more important than what’s behind you.

Tips For Making A Fresh Start In Your 40s And Beyond

Undoubtedly, it takes courage to make a fresh start. Regardless, once made, it requires looking ahead rather than behind. A fresh start may require

• Cutting ties
• Stopping habits
• Changing mindsets

That means you may have to say goodbye to people, places, thoughts, and behaviors to start over. That’s ok!

Keep No Room for Regret

If you are longing for a fresh start, chances are you realize change is going to be an important and healthy thing. Don’t spend time regretting your decisions. Instead, focus on the healthy benefits of a fresh start where anything is possible.

It’s perfectly normal to mourn some of the losses or changes while simultaneously being excited about the new opportunities ahead. Find peace with your decision and focus on the windshield rather than the rear-view mirror.

Here are some tips that can help:

Journal your way into a fresh start.

Chronicle your decisions to make a fresh start. Remind yourself why you want to make changes. Be honest with yourself about doubts, fears, and anxieties while also celebrating your enthusiasm for all the new possibilities.

If you are new to journaling, you may read our blog post on journaling ideas for beginners.

Get closure when you can. 

Don’t avoid difficult conversations on your way to a fresh start. Get closure where you can. Say goodbye to people, tie up loose ends, or make a clean break before moving on.

Commemorate the fresh start.

It’s easier to be excited about a fresh start by making it a big deal. Commemorate your decision and celebrate your changes in a meaningful way.

Choose an activity, symbolic memento, or special way to launch your new start and give it the attention it deserves. 

Just as you do driving your car, keep looking ahead when you make a fresh start. Keep focused on what’s in front of you and worry less about what lies behind you. 

Starting Fresh In Life: Key Takeaways

As you step into the next chapter of life at 40, consider it a chance to refresh and rediscover what makes you truly happy.

Embrace change, try new things, and let each day be an opportunity to follow your heart.

Life gets even more exciting after 40, so don’t be afraid to start fresh and create your amazing story. Here’s to new beginnings and making the most of every moment!

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