Has your comfort zone become uncomfortable? Have you been ignoring the voice in your head telling you it's time for a change? If you can identify with any of these 5 signs, you're ready to start a new chapter in your life.
I recently celebrated my 2 Year Blogging Anniversary. Although I’ve come a long way over the last few years, I’m starting to see signs that once again, I’m ready for a new chapter in my life.
If you know my ‘origin story’, you are well aware that up until the age of 41, I ignored all signs that indicated to me, it was time to get out of debt, lose weight and change my fixed mindset. I just accepted life as it was and gave myself excuses as to why it could not change.
Although four years later, I’m a completely different person. I have started to see some of the 5 signs below start to surface again. But this time I’m paying attention!
The one thing I’ve learned over the last few years is, you don’t have to wait until you’re ready. Sometimes, you have to acknowledge the signs you are feeling, trust your instincts and take action. Yes there might be some fear involved and you may not even know where to start. But if like me, any of the 5 signs below ring true – you are ready for a new chapter in your life.
5 Signs You’re Ready For a New Chapter in Your Life
I’ve felt each of the 5 signs below throughout my life, so I know how hard it is to have the courage and motivation to do something about it. Knowing what I know now, I wish I never wasted so much time doubting myself. You too have the power to acknowledge the signs and start believing in your own value and stepping into your Brazen Spirit.
Most of the time we don’t even realise we feel stuck. We’re just living our life. This feeling can creep up on us day after day, month after month – until it hits us and we don’t like where we find ourselves. If every day feels like ground hog day. You’re unmotivated, uninspired and feel boxed in – you’re ready for change. The problem is where to start!
This is the sign which hit me when I had my mid-life crisis. I had no idea of how I was going to get myself unstuck. What’s more – I was too ashamed to ask for help or admit to anyone else this was how I felt. The one thing I did know was no one was coming to save me- sad but true!
If you’re feeling stuck, the first thing you have to do is take full responsibility for where you find yourself. Then make a plan on how to get out. I mean a real, pen to paper bullet point plan. Write down the things you want to change and ideas (even though you may not be sure how), of what you can do to take action.
The sign of feeling stuck is rooted in wanting to change the way you feel. One of the best ways to do this is to cultivate the right values that will help change that feeling. Try my Values Setting Workbook to get you started. Once you start living by your true values you will always have an anchor to steer you away from the feeling of being stuck in life.
There’s no doubt our past has a big impact on our present. However, if your past is still contributing to your present in a negative way and you’re fed up living with those belief systems that are holding you back – you’re ready for a new chapter in your life!
Now this one can be tricky. So, depending on what events in your past are still weighing heavy in your heart and mindset, you may need to seek professional help. If however, you are fed up with past mistakes or failures you’ve experienced and are fearful of trying again or trying something new – there is a way to work through it.
For me, the best way to do this is treat every negative experience as a lesson.
Reframing all my failures and disappointments as ‘life lessons’ has been liberating. I have stopped feeling like a victim (at the hands of myself or others), and embraced all the bad experiences as a badge of honour that I am still here, still going and I now know what to avoid, to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
After all, you can’t write a new chapter in life if you keep re-reading the old one.
Your comfort zone is like a protective amour you surround yourself with, to keep safe. But wearing this amour makes you afraid to try new things, improve your life experience or accept new opportunities.
This is exactly where I am in life right now.
Even though I have a totally different comfort zone to what it was a few years ago, it’s no longer comfortable.
Before I made the true effort to change my life, my comfort zone was living every day with £20k of debt, being 30lbs over weight and having no clear direction or motivation for life. I had surrendered to my situation for years until it was no longer comfortable – and that’s when I made drastic changes.
But here I am now. In a much more empowering and positive comfort zone, but I am starting to feel uncomfortable again. However, now I know this is a good thing! Although my life is totally different from all those years ago, The feeling of discomfort is a sign that I have more self-growth to explore, more to learn and even bigger goals to accomplish in both my business and personal life.
If your comfort zone is no longer comfortable, try implementing some of the small, simple goals and actions from my 80 Goal Setting Idea’s to live a Fulfilling Life, to your weekly routine. Taking a few easy steps to get out of your comfort zone will have a profound impact on the person you want to become and the new chapter you create for your life.
I don’t really like the whole self-improvement notion of ‘finding your purpose’. But I totally understand the sign of feeling like you have no purpose and how this can be used to create a new chapter for your life.
The ‘finding your purpose’ mantra is usually rooted in the value you hold of yourself, what you contribute to the world and how it is perceived by others. But here’s the thing. You could spend weeks, months or even years trying to ‘find‘ your purpose – but (like me in the past), you’re probably looking for the wrong thing!
I have come to believe the feeling of not having a purpose, comes from ignoring the desire to pursue the things that bring us joy. We are so consumed with being seen and appreciated by others, we neglect our internal need to see ourselves.
If you’re seeking to add purpose to your life – keep it simple. Start by regularly seeking out the things that bring you joy and be focused and purposeful when you do it. This moves the pressure away from ‘having a purpose’, to ‘living a purposeful life’. There is a big difference.
It’s this difference that opens up new possibilities and opportunities to grow internally and share externally.
I’ll put my hand up and say, out of the 5 Signs You’re Ready for A New Chapter in Your Life, this is the one I’m most identifying with right now!
I want more! There, I’ve said it out loud.
But why is it so hard to admit?
There are so many things we settle for in life, even when we know we want more. Whether that be more money, more material items, more love or more (“fill in your blank!”). Being in a stage in your life when you want more of anything is a clear an blatant sign you are ready to start a new chapter. But a lot of us ignore this sign, as we feel undeserving or not worthy of more. All the while looking at those who wanted more and took the action to get it with scorn or worse yet – excuses for why why can’t have what they have.
I’m all for being grateful and practicing daily gratitude for the things in my life right now. But I refuse to ignore my internal desire for even more abundance in life.
If you’re starting to feel like you want more out of life – this sign is your green light to take action to make it happen. Every single person you admire or envy, acted upon their internal desire for more, no matter their starting point. Despite what you might think, they are no different from you. all you need is a goal with a plan and the ‘why’ you want it to happen.
It’s never going to seem like the right time to start a new chapter in your life.
But, ignoring the signs and putting it off will not make it any easier to write a new story.
Let me know in the comments below which signs ring true for you and what action you are going to take.
