How to Effectively Recharge, Reset, and Restart
Have you ever hit a goal but then soon after found yourself in a funk? Maybe you were excited and happy that the goal was achieved but you started to wonder what’s next.
I experienced this feeling after qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon in 2016. It was a goal I had worked toward for years, so my focus, my training, and a part of my life were all dedicated to seeing it through.
After the race was over, and I was back home, I started feeling down. I was in a funk because I never really thought past running Boston. I had no immediate goals and no motivation, and I sunk a bit low.
I learned the hard way then How to effectively Recharge, Reset, and Restart in simple ways. These are the steps we need to take after accomplishing a goal before starting up again with a new one.
These strategies will help you rest, renew your energy, restore balance and harmony, and boost your overall well-being. When you make these intentional changes you set yourself up for success and accomplish even more goals.
How to effectively Recharge, Reset, and Restart
We need to formulate a plan for once our goal that we’ve been working toward and putting all our focus in is complete. As I reflected on what happened after Boston, I formulated a plan to never let that happen again.
I refer to these steps as the 3 Rs:
- Recharge: Recover and Refuel
- Reset: Set a New Goal
- Restart: Get Going Again
It can take a couple of days, weeks, or months to go through this process and that’s okay. Do it at your own pace and in your own time. Let’s dive in and explore each one deeper.
Step 1: Recharge
Once you have achieved your goal, the first step you need to take is to set aside time to recharge, just settle back in, and get ready to launch again. Sometimes burnout can happen on the journey to realizing your dream and that’s why you need recovery time.
Refueling your mind, body, and spirit is the best way to recharge. Because the reality is you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Refueling your mind is essential because when a goal is complete, doubt can still creep in and try to take you out. Just because you’ve crushed your goal, doesn’t mean you stop there. You need to recharge your mind and keep developing a positive mindset. Let go of the things that stress you and negative thoughts that affect your mental health.
Our minds are like computers, and we must continually program them to think the way we want. What we put in is what will come out. Taking time to recharge our minds is key after accomplishing a goal. A great way to have this mental clarity could be through journaling, meditation, reading a book, going to counseling, or reading the Bible.
Refueling your body is just as crucial as it increases your energy levels. If you finished a marathon, part of recharging is ensuring you’re replenishing the nutrients that were depleted during your run.
A healthy diet is important after a race to boost your physical health. You don’t want to deprive your body of the nutrients and vitamins it needs to stay healthy and strong. A marathon takes pretty much all the fuel you have, so naturally it needs to be replaced.
You might have been working hard to achieve a goal and that came with lack of sleep. You were running on just a few hours of sleep a night so you could have the time you needed to make things happen. Your body physically will need to recharge with rest and adequate sleep.
Other ways of refueling your body in the short term could be a much-needed long bubble bath, getting a check-up at the doctor, and practicing self-care.
Recharging our spirit is necessary as well. Our spirit is where our passion sprouts. It’s where we find our hope and drive. Our giftings come from our spirit, and we need to be protective of that. Recharging your spirit could involve practicing gratitude, prayer, connecting with nature, and enjoying the fresh air.
We need to take time to reflect on how we got to our goal. What did it take to accomplish it? Was there any sacrifice involved? Did we learn anything through it? How did we grow? What were the failures and lessons we learned from them?
Reflection helps you gain new perspectives about good or stressful situations you went through and develop a growth mindset. When you become intentional about your thoughts, attitudes, and actions, you develop a more meaningful life that will lead you to success.
You can also consider taking a social media break as a powerful way of recharging your mental batteries, focusing on the present moment, connecting with those you love, and engaging in new experiences.
Step 2: Reset
After you hit a goal, it’s time to reset. In essence, reset means finding a new goal, exploring new ideas, and engaging in new experiences. We usually want to wait until the New Year only to reset but it can happen anytime.
It’s important to reset because without a specific goal and plan of action, there is no purpose or drive, and it can have a negative effect.
As I shared earlier, after I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time, I didn’t take the time to press the reset button and consequently spiraled down into a form of depression. That goal came with a whole lot of hard work. The training was grueling.
That specific goal was on my mind all the time. It wasn’t my life, but it was a close second. There was a great sacrifice to see it through. I lived and breathed getting to that finish line and had little time for other things in my personal life.
Achieving the goal was a culmination of years of training. It was one of the most important things I’ve accomplished. After it was all said and done, I was kind of lost. Without purpose, there isn’t passion. There isn’t drive without purpose. My stress levels went up.
I realized that if we don’t push the reset button and decide what comes next, then we are prone to complacency. We may end up getting comfortable and not wanting to leave that zone.
Part of this process is starting habits that result in positive changes. This could include planning ahead daily, weekly, monthly quarterly, or annually. It could be trying new experiences or a new skill such as taking a cooking class, gardening, or starting to exercise and move your body as a daily habit if you were not doing that before. These habits help to boost your overall well-being and set you up for success.
By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you can hit the reset button and start creating positive habits that will help you live your best life.
Step 3: Restart
It’s okay to take time to recharge and celebrate a victory, but once we refuel and reset with a new mission, it’s time to get going on the new things we’ve set out to do.
A goal isn’t accomplished solely by thinking about it. It takes action. We need to put our plan into motion and get to work. Have a daily to-do list that you complete and make progress towards your goals.
A goal is simply a wish without an action plan to back it up. We have to be willing to work. Create your vision board, set specific goals, and enjoy achieving everything you plan out.
Our journey is never finished. We hit a goal and move on to the next, and it’s a stairway that leads to our larger pursuits or calling. We need to be willing to continually make the climb.
The good news is once you’ve reached one goal, you have the confidence and momentum to keep going and achieve the next one and the next one.
“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. “
— Ralph Marston, American writer.
After we accomplish a goal, and after the celebration is over, we need to remember the 3 Rs: Recharge, Reset, Restart. Each step is a necessity after a victory. Don’t leave one of them out. All three work together to set you up for your next success.
Which one is easiest for you? Which one is more difficult to remember to do?
As you incorporate these steps in your life on an ongoing basis, you’ll experience professional growth, personal growth, fulfillment, higher energy levels, improved emotional, mental, and physical health, and ultimately success on the journey to achieve your goals and dreams.
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Remember, you are a winner. Just run YOUR race!
