It’s Okay to Start Over — Again

We talk a lot about “Just Begin” here at MäksēLife.

You don’t need all the steps or a perfectly mapped-out plan. You just need to know your first best step. Then the next, and the next, until you’ve built momentum and you’re moving forward.

But what happens when those next best steps… stop feeling aligned?

When you’re halfway through the month and something still feels off, scattered, or you still feel stuck?

That’s when a soft reset comes in. And, friend, we’re here to remind you:

It’s okay to start over. Again.

(And again, and again, as many times as you need.)

Not because you failed.

Not because you didn’t do enough.

But because you’re human. Life shifts. You change. And that’s not only okay - it’s part of the journey.

 

Life Doesn’t Follow Planner Spreads

Your goals might live inside monthly or quarterly layouts, but your life unfolds in real time.

Life happens in the middle of long to-do lists, surprise set-backs, beautiful moments and exhausting ones too.

It’s easy to feel like we’re “behind” or that we’ve “ruined” our goals when we need to pause on our plans.

But you’re not behind. You’re living. In real time. In real circumstances. And that counts too.

Starting over doesn’t mean you’re back at zero.

Starting over doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

Starting over means you’re choosing to keep going.

Starting over is resilience in motion.

How Perfectionism Sneaks Into Goal-Setting

For many of us, especially those with high standards and big dreams, perfectionism quietly creeps into our planning.

It sounds like:

“If I miss a day, I’ve failed.”

“If I’m not doing it perfectly, it doesn’t count.”

“If I can’t commit 100%, then what’s even the point?”

These thoughts may feel like discipline, but often, they’re just perfectionism in disguise.

Perfectionism often disguises itself as discipline, but it’s really just fear in a really pretty outfit.

Fear of not being enough. Fear of falling short.

And you don’t have to listen to that voice.

Here’s your reminder:

Progress doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful.

At the start of the year I found myself absolutely killing it with my meal-planning game. One of my goals was to feed my kids more actual dinners (as opposed to the snack plates they prefer that somehow still make me feel guilty, no matter how balanced they may be) and to sit down as a family more at mealtime. 

January and February? Crushed it. I was planning our meals and we were sitting down as a family together multiple times a week. Even my kids noticed and commented on how much they loved family dinners!

Then March came and life got busy. 

Work started to ramp up, social events were being added to the calendar faster than I could check in with myself and decide if they were really how I wanted to spend my time. 

Before I knew it my momentum on meal planning was gone and my kids were back to rushed, frantic snack plates every night.

I won’t lie, I made meaning of this moment. I definitely let my inner critic sneak in and start whispering “wow, you totally failed, huh” and it was not a fun time. 

But when I took the time to reflect on my journey thus far I realized that I was missing easy opportunities to step back into this goal and still create meaningful moments with my family. 

Now, we may not be eating dinner together every night, but I celebrate those 1-2 nights each week that we get to have that quality time together. Because if I let my  mindset that I failed win we wouldn't get these moments at all. 

Is there a goal or habit that you’ve made meaning of because you “broke a streak” or lost momentum? How can you re-frame this to start making meaningful progress again? I’d love if you could share in the comments below!

 

3 Gentle Ways to Reset With Compassion

1. Reflect without judgment.

When things feel off, try asking yourself: “What has this season been asking of me?”

Open your Weekly Reflections and take a few quiet minutes to check-in:

• What were my wins this week?

• What’s currently working in my life?

• What’s not working?

• What lessons did I learn?

• What adjustments do I need to make moving forward?

This isn’t about grading your progress, it’s about getting curious and gently tuning back in to what you need right now.

2. Reconnect with your WHY.

Not the “shoulds.” Your REAL why. The heart-and-soul stuff.

Ask yourself: What truly matters to me right now?

What do I want, not what I feel obligated to do?

 

Need help digging deeper into what you truly want? Our Best Self Reflections printable is a great place to start!

3. Redefine success for the season you’re in.

Success doesn’t always look like checking all the boxes.

Sometimes, it looks like choosing rest.

Or setting one small, doable goal to rebuild momentum.

Sometimes, it’s choosing joy over hustle.

Your goals are meant to support your life - not run it.

You Don’t Need a New Month to Reset

You just need a moment.

And if you’ve been waiting for a sign?

This is it.

Open your Mäksēlife Goal-Setting Planner.

Flip to a Weekly Reflection or a blank notes page and simply ask:

“What do I need right now?”

You don’t need to have the answer right away, just a willingness to listen.

Starting over doesn’t erase what you’ve done, it builds on it.

You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.

It says: “I’m still in this.”

And we are, too. We’re right here, cheering you on, friend!

Let us know how you’re resetting this month over in the MäksēLife Facebook Community, we’d love to support you!

Want Help With a Soft Reset?

Download our FREE Best Self Reflections printable to get started, or turn to the reflection pages in your planner.

Just one page.

One prompt.

One moment of clarity.

That’s all it takes.