You can’t just pick up where you left off

Getting yourself back on track isn’t always easy.

Whether you’re returning from some ‘me’ time away from the gym or preparing to revive your writing obsessions, trying to pick up where you left off is rarely achievable.

Yes, you can try. But more times than not opting to continue on your journey as if you’ve never been gone results in nothing more than a rude awakening.

You gotta take a few steps back.

Now, to some, this approach can seem counterproductive, after all, aren’t we taught success comes from moving forward towards your goals, not in reverse?

However, after you’ve been lying stagnant for a prolonged period of time, forming bad habits and allowing your mind to turn to mush — figuratively speaking — starting from a point you are familiar with, that you’ve previously surpassed, may be just the jumpstart you need to build your confidence once again and help you return to your former advantageous ways.

Think of it as a pre-match warm-up before the big game.

A chance to recalibrate, flex your muscles, dust off the cobwebs and eradicate those built-up lackadaisical tendencies as you get yourself back in the swing of things.

Like a runner recovering from an injury or a writer returning to their keyboard, you must start off small.

Run just a few miles in the beginning, write a couple of hundred words for your first few posts.

The key is to set yourself itty-bitty goals to relaunch with, achievable ones to help create those good habits.

Then, once you get the ball rolling, all you have to do is take things one step at a time, growing in strength and determination as you go.

Working every day at moving closer towards the ‘real’ start point — where you last left off — and from there building on your momentum, eventually transcending beyond your previous achievements, taking things to the next level.

Of course, immediate progress won’t happen overnight and you will be faced with resistance along the way.

But that’s up to you to deal with it, to remain focused, disciplined, and firm.

Because you already know what happens when you give in to those little voices of temptation, they drag you right back down to square one.

So, if you’ve been indulging in a little too much downtime as of late and know it’s time to get yourself back on track, then why not make a conscious decision today to take action and don’t be afraid to take a step back to move forward.

Thanks for reading.