Reset Your Life in 6 Months

A couple of months ago, I found myself in a really unhappy place. I had been stuck in the same routine, going through the motions without realizing that I wasn’t making progress in my career or moving toward any of my dreams. Then one day, I paused to reflect and realized just how deeply unhappy I was. I knew I needed a reset. I needed to take control and get back on track. So, I decided to embark on a personal project to completely reset my life in 6 months. I gave myself 6 months because I personally felt that’s the amount of time I needed to make significant changes, and it also coincided with another important thing in my life. The duration of this project may depend on your personal needs, it could be a year or 3 months. Its completely up to you, because the purpose of this project is for you to take control of your life, so you get to decide how long you need for that.

Before starting this project, I made the decision to come back home. I knew that if I wanted to truly reset my life, I needed to be in a space where I felt safe and grounded. Staying in the same toxic environment that led me to this point would only make it harder to break free. Sometimes, the first step to real change is removing yourself from the place that’s holding you back.

The first thing I did was conduct a SWOT analysis of my current state. I needed a clear, honest assessment of where I stood before I could plan my way forward.

For anyone who is not familiar, SWOT analysis is a simple but powerful tool used to evaluate four key areas: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors exploring what I’m good at and where I struggle while opportunities and threats are external factors, like potential chances for growth or obstacles in my path. By mapping these out, I can see exactly what was working for me, what was holding me back, and what I needed to focus on.

After doing a SWOT Analysis for myself, I got a clear idea of what was going on, what are the reasons for being in this situation, what areas need to be addressed in order to achieve my goals. For the purpose of this article I have added a few sample points for you to get an idea. This could be a great opportunity for you to take some time alone, evaluate your life and write down the things you believe are applicable to you ❤️.

Next step was to identify my core values that are the fundamental principles that truly matter to me. I’ve realized that, time and time again, I’ve been caught in trends, societal expectations, or cycles that didn’t align with what I actually wanted. It’s easy to chase what looks like success on the outside, only to feel unfulfilled on the inside. This time, I wanted to be intentional. I wanted to shape my life based on what I genuinely appreciate and believe in, not what the world says I should. While I’m not going to share my personal list of core values here are some examples for you to get an idea,

🌱 Continuous Learning

💡 Curiosity

❤️ Honesty

🫂 Compassion

What I have realized over the years is that your core values can change with time. For example, in my 20s I wouldn’t have listed peace of mind as a core value for me, but now in my 30s I prioritize peace of mind over most materialistic gains. So these always depend on your personality, the stage you are at in your life and your current priorities.

This is another opportunity for you to do some self-reflection. Sit back and think about the things that defines you, things that make you excited, certain topics or words that you always gravitate towards. These are your core values ❤️.

After conducting a SWOT analysis and identifying your core values, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. You might ask yourself, Can I really change all this in six months or a year? Some goals may not even be practically feasible within your chosen timeframe. For example, you may or may not be able to clear all your debt in 6 months. But by the end of the 6 months, if you had paid a portion of your debt and have a clear time table to pay it off completely, then I’d say its a success.

The goal isn’t to achieve everything you’ve identified in your initial analysis with 100% perfection. Instead, the real success lies in getting yourself on the right path. If, by the end of your timeframe, you’ve made significant progress and built momentum toward a better future, then that itself is a win.

To make this simple, I suggest creating a chart to compare your current state and the ideal state by the end of your defined time frame. So for me I made a chart to compare my current state and my ideal state by the end of 6 months. This will help us a lot when we get to the step of making plans.

One thing I want to suggest is when you define your ideal state, be mindful to stay realistic. No matter how hard you try or how much you plan, if your ideal state is to go from zero to a billionaire by the end of 6 months, that may not happen unless something extraordinary happens 😀.

To summarize,

• we know our strengths so we know what’s going well and need to continue

• we know our weaknesses, so we know what’s not working and need to change

• We know our opportunities so we can be on the look out

• We know our threats so we can be prepared to mitigate any risks

• We identified our core values so we know which direction our plans should be steered towards.

• We visualized our ideal state against our current state so we know our goals for 6 months

Next step is to make an action plan that will help us to reset our lives in 6 months. For this I am using SMART action plan. A SMART action plan helps turn broad goals into clear, achievable steps by making them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Instead of vague aspirations like "I want to be healthier", a SMART goal would be "Exercise four times a week and meal prep every Sunday for six months." This structure ensures that goals are trackable and realistic, keeping you focused and motivated throughout your six-month reset.

Below is a sample SMART action plan you can refer to, to get a clear idea.

This is something that you should do for yourself, because only you know your capabilities, your endurance and potential. I never like to refer to generic rules and generic advice like work out 4 times a week for 2 hours each day and you will lose this much weight. That maybe true for one person but depending on your work schedule, family commitments, your physical strength and metabolism, your body and mind would not be able to cater to that requirement. So its always best to make your plans by yourself.

Your SMART action plan can be as simple as a one page outline or as detailed as a 20 page strategy. It all depends on your unique circumstances. The key is to be mindful and not overwhelm yourself with unrealistic expectations. Set practical, achievable goals that align with your current situation. Remember, you can’t transform overnight, and even if you could, such drastic change wouldn’t be sustainable. The goal is consistent progress, not instant perfection. Slow and steady wins the race.

Once you have implemented your SMART action plan, the next step is to track your progress consistently. Without tracking, it’s easy to lose focus or feel like you’re not making any real changes. There are a few tools and techniques that I use for goal tracking,

• Spreadsheets

• Weekly reflections

Some people use habit trackers, journals, tools like Microsoft project, Trello to track their progress. I love spreadsheets for everything so that’s what I personally use. I like handwritten notes and journals as well, so most of my plans and goals will be in my favorite notebook. I make it a point to check my progress weekly, so I know I’m on track.

These are all the steps in my small so called project to reset my life in 6 months. Resetting your life in six months isn’t about achieving perfection but about taking control, making intentional changes, and setting yourself on the right path. By understanding where you are, identifying your core values, setting realistic SMART goals, and tracking your progress, you create a sustainable foundation for long-term growth. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistent effort and self-awareness, I hope to look back in six months and realize just how far I’ve come. I hope this will help others to do the same. Lets regroup in a month as see how its going.

The journey starts with a single step. So take it ❤️.