How to get that "clean slate" feeling without changing jobs
In the season of Back-to-School, I find myself thinking about that same need grown-up need for a fresh start as kids get with their fresh notebooks. Every now and then, we all need a chance for a reset. To wipe the slate clean. For a fresh start without having to make a radical change. Some careers lend themselves to this type of reflection more so than others. Those with cyclical work (think: teachers, obviously) have a built-in opportunity to ask themselves: What do I want to be different this year? What warrants a new approach?
But what about those of us without clear markers in the year, aside from the Hallmark section telling us what holiday is 6 weeks away? We could probably benefit from a clean-slate mentality too.
A clean-slate mentality is more than just reframing our outlook, coming at work from a different angle; it's really setting a new intention to rid ourselves of those nagging voices, habits, attachments, baggage. We may not feel the same tactile thrills of new notebooks, new classes, new teachers, but with a kid-like optimism, the power to push the reset button is always in our grasp. Here are some ways to craft your own.
Begin by doing some reflecting. Are there relationships that could stand a little realignment? Are there expectations that you need to right-size? Are there goals that have slipped or even completely fallen off your radar? Most importantly, have the narratives you’ve been telling yourself gotten a little stale or out of sync with reality? You might even ask yourself what’s been getting under your skin recently. Where there’s irritation, there’s often opportunity for a reset.
Identify the reset you want to make. Don’t try to boil the ocean. We can’t reset everything. Review your list, and pick one that feels really meaningful to you.
Articulate the goal of your reset. Name the thing you want to be different. What do you hope this reset will bring? What would a successful reset offer?
Decide on your route to the reset. Is it a conversation with someone else? Is it about taking a different approach so that you’re more accountable to yourself? (Even though I’m long past school-aged, I still think there are few approaches as clean, simple, and satisfying as a good ol’ star chart.)
Treat yourself! Go ahead and decide on how you’d like to reward yourself when you accomplish that reset. Resets are hard and take effort and accountability. Identify what will make it worth it to you, and then get out there and earn it!
