How to Reset, Refocus & Renew Yourself to Gain Clear Direction in Life

Here it is. A new year! Finally!

The old has gone and the new has come. These beginning months are all about pressing the reset button. It’s time to refocus your life and get things back on track.

The year 2020 was an incredible teaching moment. As countries around the world faced a deadly pandemic, so many lives were threatened. Bermuda was no exception. We were forced to adapt to new ways of living. We learned how to stay connected with loved ones, restructure our daily lives to accommodate difficult circumstances, and rally around the community to support those who found themselves in impossible situations. It was a clear indication of the resilience, strength, and resourcefulness we possess.

In those moments, my hope is that you seized the opportunity to reposition things in your life.

As exhausting and depressing as last year was, it’s a state we don’t have to remain in. Use the beginning of this year to detox from all of the bad you experienced last year. Start the process of refocusing your life.

Time to Refocus

As you move into this new year, hold on to the principles you’ve learned that have strengthened you and allow them to permeate your life in a way that brings fullness to your daily habits and the people you connect with.

God is doing a new thing in your life and He’s asking you, do you see it. Are you recognizing the foundation He is laying down and are you taking advantage of it? Do you want to bring your life into focus and do away with the things that no longer serve you? Are you plugging into your power source? 

Make this year the best year yet by being intentional about the things you do. Use this year as a year to bring your life into alignment with the life God has for you. Decide to take steps toward discovering your true purpose. 

If last year taught you anything, it’s that the time is NOW to make positive changes in your life.

The Power of Refocusing

Let’s get back to the basics. 

As people living in a busy world, we have many roles to play. Our schedules are tied up. We have long to-do lists and little time to bring ourselves back to our center. We are distracted and overwhelmed by the expectations we have of ourselves and those that others have of us. More importance is placed on planning our careers and the events of our lives. And we haven’t considered nurturing our core. Even when our internal fuel tanks run dry, we make every effort to push through. We end up operating on fumes. And this is counterproductive. In most instances, our ability to focus becomes impossible. 

Giving yourself a time-out to restore your mind, energy, emotions and even your physical state is the key to winning the long-game. If not careful, you run the risk of drifting into a space of wondering “How did I get here”. The time you take to propel yourself forward is vital. Think of where you hope to see yourself headed. Consider carving out time to check-in with yourself. Do not use this as an opportunity to write another to-do list. It’s an opportunity to STOP and invite God in to show you the vision He has for the ‘you‘ that’s been hiding inside.

5 Steps to Refocus Your Life

Here are a few steps to get you back on track.

1. REVIEW AND REFLECT

Take a moment and look at where you are currently. Make a note of this and don’t place any judgment on yourself if you are not where you had hoped. You are simply acknowledging where you are. I find journaling to be a helpful tool for this exercise. I am able to offload my emotions and feelings, what I observe about myself, the state of my current situation, and the impact it has on me. Find a nice quiet room in your home, just for you, that brings you peace. It can be an outside porch, a sitting room, a small nook in your bedroom – anywhere that affords you the opportunity to think freely and clearly. Give yourself the space to reflect on what you’ve written. 

2. ACCEPT AND DECIDE

Take a deep breath and accept where you are. Remember, the old has gone and the new has come. Do not get stuck on everything you believe is wrong. Decide to move forward. Determine where you want to go next. 

You journaled your thoughts in step one. Write down where you would like to see yourself in step two. Who do you want to be? Remove titles. That’s not what this is about. This is where you resolve to become or further the person God created you to be. What character traits do you want to demonstrate? Are there boundaries you believe need to be set to guard the person you are trying to be? How do you wish to share this person with the world? Usually, in life, this is where we get stuck – making decisions that are not based on who we truly are and what we want for ourselves.

3. LISTEN AND RECEIVE

In your prayer or meditation time, share with God the person you wish to become. Ask Him to reveal to you the areas of your life that need to shift in order for this to be possible. Listen for His wise counsel on the direction you take. If you are finding that you haven’t received anything, stay a little longer. Be intentional about scheduling time. Give yourself a day or two to move into a state of receiving from God by soaking yourself in His word and His presence. This is known as having time with God and growing in intimacy with Him. Believe me, he wants to show you the life he has waiting for you and wants you to join Him in repositioning things. There is no need to rush this process. The time you take is precious.

4. TAKE ACTION

After time with God, you will be open to His truth of where you are, how you arrived here but also what you need to do to get up from this place. This is where you must act on the truth of what to do to restructure your life.

5. MOVE FORWARD

Understand the journey ahead will not be short and quick. You are being molded and pruned to bear good fruit in the end. Take time to refocus and check-in with yourself OFTEN. Use the steps above. The more you commit to time with God and yourself, you find it becomes second nature. You will immediately know how to get yourself back on track when you sense things are off. Keep moving forward no matter how many times you stray from the path. This is the goal. His plan for your life will always prevail. He will lead you back. Just remain open to His truth.

Connecting to the Power Source

One of my dear cousins shared this analogy with me about needing to reset our lives and I found it fitting to share with you.

For many of us, the phone has become our everything. It is a communicator, an office assistant, a memory keeper, a music player, a movie theater, a business manager and so much more. Filled with many apps and updated features, it reaches a point where it begins to slow down or worse. It malfunctions and shuts down. We decide to take it to the store for servicing. The clerk advises us that it’s not a problem and it can be reset. Did you hear that? It can be reset.

Some things will be deleted. If there is anything important we need to keep, the clerk informs us to upload it to the cloud or else it will be lost forever. In the process, the clerk notices the low battery life left and must plug the phone into the power source. It is impossible to reset the phone on a low battery charge.

My friends, the phone is you and I. 

We have taken on many roles and possessions. Not always within our control, they carry a heavy load with them. All of life’s expectations and requirements weigh us down. They add overwhelm and exhaustion to our lives. And as a result, our battery life runs low. We are now at a place where we need to be reset. 

To move forward, there are things we must decide to let go of. The stresses of parenting, failed relationships, financial hardships, grief, unforgiveness, illness, guilt, the effects of traumatic events, external clutter, and the overload of unnecessary tasks. The list goes on. However, there are also important things that need to remain. Keep these things. They are lessons learned along the way and will serve us for where we are going. For safekeeping, we give these things to God. He will let us know when to pick these things back up and use them again.

Above all, plugging into the power source is the most important step. As we have run ourselves down, there is no more energy left to know where to begin. We need to tap into the only One who can rebuild us. In joining with God, He exchanges our worries, stresses, and fears for His peace. He removes things that no longer serve us. He shows us the areas that truly need to be healed. When we accept His truth and decide to move forward, He transforms us into someone new.

We are doomed, my friend if we don’t plug into the power source; drained of life. And if we don’t connect with the power source, we will remain stuck.

New Year, New Beginnings

Make this year the year you decide to take care of yourself and not just continue on with the status quo. Understand the importance of giving yourself time to refocus on what is truly important. Use the 5 step process above to help bring your life into alignment with the vision God has planned for you and witness a miracle in the making; your transformation. You won’t regret it.

If you are looking to create a space that allows you to breathe and opens the door to free-thinking, we can help. We offer Interior Decorating and E-Design Services. Schedule a Complimentary Discovery Call to see how The Bungalow Cottage can be of service to you.

Until next time…