Why You Keep Starting Over (and What to Do Instead)

It’s the middle of summer, and maybe you had big plans — projects to finish, healthy habits to start, quilts to finally complete. But now you're feeling behind. Like you've already “messed it up.” And part of you is whispering, “Maybe I just need a do-over.”

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. I see this all the time. Whether it’s starting a new journal, joining a quilt-along, or deciding this time you’re going to follow through — you go in with energy… and then something happens. You miss a day. Life gets busy. You feel stuck. So instead of evaluating, adjusting, or moving forward… you start over. Or worse — you just quit.

Here’s what I want to offer: starting over isn’t the solution. Evaluating is.

Why Starting Over Feels So Tempting

Starting fresh feels good, doesn’t it? That blank page energy can be so motivating. But what happens when you miss a day or don’t follow your plan perfectly? If your instinct is to toss it all out and try again, you’re missing something important: the learning that only comes from the messy middle.

Think about how many goals you’ve given up on simply because they didn’t go perfectly right away. Think about how many times you’ve quit, not because it was impossible — but because it wasn’t instant.

Instead of doing that, what if you just evaluated? What went well? What didn’t? What can you try differently tomorrow?

A Real-Life Shift

One of my clients recently got a passive-aggressive email from a family member after trying to reach out kindly. In the past, this would’ve crushed her. But not this time. This time, she set a boundary. She replied without taking it personally. And here’s the best part: she didn’t make it mean anything about her.

That’s what this work does. It helps you stop being the victim of every bump in the road — whether that bump is a scale, a snide email, or a missed day on your calendar.

Curiosity > Perfection

What changed everything for me — especially in my weight loss journey — was curiosity. When I replaced judgment with curiosity, I finally made progress that stuck. Instead of punishing myself for getting it “wrong,” I started asking: Why did I eat that? What was I really feeling? What would I do differently next time?

It’s not about perfect execution. It’s about reflection and evaluation.

The Courage to Be Creative (and Messy)

Yes, creativity and change require vulnerability. You might fail. You might feel silly. But without that risk, you stay stuck. You never learn what works best for you.

That’s why inside my membership, I teach a simple, sustainable system that works. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s rooted in self-trust, curiosity, and real feedback.

What If You Didn’t Start Over?

Instead of scrapping everything and buying a new planner or signing up for a brand-new challenge — what if you just paused and got curious?

Here’s a quick journaling prompt for you (yes, write it down!):

• What’s a goal you’ve started and not finished?

• Why didn’t you finish it?

• What’s one thing you could learn from that experience to carry into your next step?

When you give yourself the gift of feedback — without judgment — everything changes.

Want a more structured approach? In my membership, I guide women through a 90-day process with simple, powerful daily practices. If you’re ready to ditch the cycle of starting over, let’s talk. Book a free consult HERE!

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