Do you remember the “Easy Button” ad for Staples?
Do you remember the “Easy Button” ad for Staples? We all wished we could just hit that button and make life easier. Well, life doesn’t come with an easy button—but it does come with a reset button, and we need to learn how to push it. Resetting is crucial, especially after major successes or a season of hard work. I’ve recently come off an incredible harvest season where all my efforts throughout the year came to fruition in August and September. I was on top of the world – until I wasn’t. I find that a season of success can quickly be followed up with deep exhaustion.
There’s something fascinating—and true—about how achieving a major goal can leave you feeling deflated or even directionless afterward. Studies show that it’s common to feel a sense of letdown after success, especially if we don’t take time to reflect, reset, and renew ourselves. So, how do we push that reset button? How do we prepare for the next season of harvest in our lives?
For me, that reset button comes through intentional time away. It’s an opportunity to look back on what worked, what didn’t, and how to reposition myself for success. Resetting doesn’t mean resting although that’s a byproduct; it means strategically setting yourself up again for another season of success. Here’s how you can push the reset button in your own life.
The first step in resetting is to take time to reflect. Don’t rush from one success to the next without pausing. If you do, you’ll risk burning out—and trust me, I’ve been there. When we’re constantly moving without reflecting, we miss the chance to learn from our experiences. Without reflection, life has a way of forcing rest upon us through illness or self-sabotaging circumstances. This can be prevented if we simply step away.
During this time of reflection, ask yourself:
• What activities brought me the biggest success this past season?
• What things failed miserably and why?
John Maxwell says, “Experience isn’t the best teacher—evaluated experience is.” This is key! Taking time to evaluate both your wins and your losses will bring growth. Reflection is more than just thinking back; it’s about extracting the lessons and using them as stepping stones for your future. The goal is to figure out the 20% of your actions that led to 80% of your results, often called the Pareto Principle. Focus on those activities that had the greatest impact, and let go of the ones that didn’t.
For example, during your time of reflection, you may discover that the events you attended brought in 80% of your clients, while other ideas drained your time and resources with little return. The key is to double down on what works.
Reflection allows you to reset your focus. Maybe you need to refine a few things, let go of some habits, or double down on what worked best. Whatever the case, taking time to reflect is the first step to pushing that reset button.
Once you’ve reflected on the past season, it’s time to reset your focus for the next. What do you want to achieve? What’s your next big dream? Don’t be afraid to call it out—out loud! There’s something powerful about bringing our dreams out from our mind and onto the drawing board..
Brendon Burchard teaches, “The more you seek clarity about who you are and what you want, the more likely you are to achieve those things.” This is about being intentional in your next steps. Without clarity, you’ll drift from one thing to another. But when you declare your next goal, you reset your mind and position yourself for success.
While riding our mountain bikes along Turkey Creek Trail in Colorado last summer, my mind was actively in dream mode. In the middle of the rocky trail, I put on the brakes and called out to my husband, Todd. He’s all too familiar with my trail declarations and listened with a smile as I stated confidently, “This time next year, I will be speaking on the Maxwell stage.” He recorded a video of me declaring that dream out loud. I even made it public and posted it on Facebook. A year later, I was speaking on the Maxwell stage. Even during my time of reflection, I was resetting my mind toward my next goal.
Resetting your focus doesn’t just mean dreaming—it means getting specific about the actions that will bring you closer to your next victory. What’s your next big dream? Speak it out loud and make a plan to get there. I could have very easily stated my dream and told the world on social media, but action had to follow. For example, if your goal is to regain a healthy life, create a vision of what that looks like to you, make a list of the exact steps you need to take, gather a support system and start moving ahead.
The final step in resetting is to renew yourself by building the skills and support you need for your next season of success.
Once you’ve reflected and set your next goal, ask yourself:
• What do I need to learn?
• What skills or resources will help me succeed?
Jim Rohn famously said, “Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development.” If you’re going to reach the next level of success, you must continually invest in yourself. Resetting means renewing your mind, spirit, and skills. Is there a course you need to take? A certification you should get? Maybe there are books or podcasts that can help you improve. Sometimes it means reaching out to mentors or building relationships with people who can push you forward.
Renewing isn’t just about what you learn—it’s also about who you surround yourself with. As Maxwell teaches in his Law of the Inner Circle, “Those closest to you determine the level of your success.” It’s crucial to evaluate your relationships as well. As painful as it may be, some of the people in your current circle might be limiting your growth or undermining your belief in yourself. Resetting sometimes means shifting new people into your inner circle and moving those who are distractors to another tier. It doesn’t mean cutting them out of your life entirely, but it does mean making room for people who can help propel you forward.
A crucial part of resetting is evaluating whether certain things—and people—still belong in your life. Some failures occur because we’re chasing things that no longer matter to us or aren’t aligned with our true purpose. Use this time to cross off the things that no longer serve you. If it isn’t important or impactful, let it go.
I told you I called out my dream of speaking on the Maxwell stage to Todd, but there was something else I called out on that video he recorded. I said, “Within the year I’m going to get my private fiduciary license and follow in my Aunt Sandra’s footsteps.” I didn’t do that. After evaluation I decided this was more of an emotional statement having lost my aunt a few months before and it did not align with my main purpose. I got out the clippers and let it go.
Peter Drucker, a pioneer in management, said, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Resetting is your opportunity to clean the house, so to speak. Get rid of the clutter—physically, mentally, emotionally, and relationally—and focus only on what’s going to bring the most impact and purpose to your life and those you love.
Remember, resetting isn’t about giving up—it’s about recalibrating. It’s about taking a deep breath, reflecting on where you’ve been, and resetting your course for where you’re going. So, take that step back, gather your thoughts, and get ready to hit the reset button.
