40 Reset Day Ideas: Why Wait for a New Month?

Reset Day Ideas for That Fresh Start Feeling

Are you fed up with feeling like you’re constantly in reset mode? Every time a new month rolls around it’s the “Right, that’s it – this month I will change EVERYTHING!!”

…But, it doesn’t last for more than a week?

Do you then find yourself waiting for the next ‘right time’ – the 1st of the next month to begin the cycle again?

Below I share 40 reset day ideas so that you can make the changes when you want to – you don’t need to wait until the next new month or new year to start making changes today!

These ideas aren’t grand gestures (hint, this is probably where you’re going wrong each month). They are simple acts you can do to help declutter your mind and embrace that fresh start vibe.

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Why Wait?

I am one for a good old monthly / quarterly / yearly reset, but also – why wait until those specific dates to come along?

Sidenote, as a serial dieter over the years, the whole “Fresh start Monday” just became a bit of a joke in the end and usually resulted in an all-you-can-eat style of living the entire weekend.

The thing is, I really like the neatness of a fresh week so I can tick a full week off my tracker…(thanks spicy brain!), but if between deciding that you’re going to make the change and making the change you just go into a full-blown sabotage mode – why wait?

This is going to be down to preference, but it’s something to think about, and if you really want to wait until Monday or the 1st of the month, then make your plans before then, and use the days in between to incorporate some new habits or make some small changes to help you prepare.

Monthly Resets v Reset Days

A new month can be a great motivator, and a brilliant way to build momentum. However, if you are a serial stop/starter, there may be an issue with all or nothing thinking. 

New month goals tend to be pretty grand – bigger than those weekly ones anyway. 

The bigger the goal, the further away they are from where you are right now, which can lead to over ambitious goals, unrealistic expectations, or being unable to efficiently estimate the time and energy needed to achieve the goal.

It can also be used as a bit of an excuse – think about my dieting example. If you’re really not looking forward to doing something, it can be very easy to say “I’ll look at that next month”.

Perhaps you’re a perfectionist who needs things to be “ready-er” so a new month is a way to push back the need to address it.

Reset days on the other hand doesn’t allow you to use time to procrastinate! You can choose to make the changes whenever you want to, which is empowering and supports a more flexible approach to your work / life.

Not waiting can help to limit the risk of sabotaging progress, or abandoning projects altogether by the time the next week / month arrives.

Regular reset days can be what you want them to be. It may be a day where you choose to declutter your home or workspace, or simply begin to introduce a new habit to support your progress and growth.

Although, it can be easy to get complacent with reset days with an “ah it’s okay I’ll just start again tomorrow” attitude, without putting any real commitment into the intention.

How to Plan a Reset Day:

Picture this: You go to bed with that realisation that things aren’t going well, and decide that in the morning things are going to change. 

However, if this was me choosing to have a reset day now, I’d make my plan before I went to bed – even if it was just a run through in my head for clarity.

I love evening planning because not only is it a great sleeping pill, your subconscious will be processing it while you sleep!

You will have a clear idea of what you want to do by the morning, and an evening plan will minimise the risk of ‘morning you’ deciding that no, actually today is not the day…!

If you do decide to plan this out the day / evening before, be mindful of how you tend to feel in the mornings. If you're a bundle of energy first thing, then go for it, but if the mornings are already a struggle, let's not make it worse…

Step 1: Set an intention.

Decide on what your intention is going to be for the reset day. How do you want to feel? How will you show up? What do you intend to experience or change? How will doing this thing / making this change impact or change your life?

Step 2: Choose what you will do that day – keeping it simple.

Pick 3-5 activities to focus on that align with your intention from step 1. These tasks need to be pretty straightforward and easy to do. They should all be easily achievable in one day. This will help to kickstart the momentum and feel good of completing tasks by the end of the day.

Depending on what your reset day involves, you may choose to focus on clarity and determining aligned goals. If this is what you’ll be focusing on, make sure that there are some actionable steps towards the goals that you are taking that day so that you’re not staying in the planning zone and you have made some actual progress towards the goal.

Step 3: Create the right environment.

There are various things you can do, including planning and prepping things the night before. This is one of the best habit hacks I know. When you wake the following day the decisions have already been made and it makes it much easier to just do the thing when it’s all there ready for you to go.

If you need to create a calm space, then set up things like candles, incense, calming / focus music. Declutter and have a good tidy and clean up of your space. If your reset is linked to productivity, this can make a huge difference.

Step 4: Reflective Attitude

If you’re a chronic stop / starter, it’s also a good idea to become aware of patterns and behaviours that may indicate why you find it difficult to maintain progress or consistency.

Each day find space to reflect on the day. What went well, what did you achieve, what felt good and what didn’t feel so good. Make note of responding behaviours – did you move onto something different? Were your expectations of the task low before you started?

Self awareness is your secret weapon and can help you step outside of this stop / start cycle and confidently approach things with more ease.

40 Reset Day Ideas for Every Need

Mental Clarity:

Declutter your workspace.

Make a list of things you're grateful for.

Journal your ideas, worries and thoughts for 10 minutes.

Do a guided 10 minute Meditation to start your day.

Unsubscribe from emails you no longer read.

Unfollow people who don’t make you feel good.

Practise mindful breathing exercises.

Physical Space Reset:

Organise your desk / workspace.

Declutter your digital space (e.g., delete old files, organise your bookmarks).

Rearrange a room or change the décor.

Do a 15-minute speed clean in one room.

Sort through old clothes / belongings and donate what you don’t wear or use.

Pack away items left out on the sides.

Clean out your bag and wallet.

Self-Care & Well-being:

Take a long bath or a refreshing shower.

Try a new healthy recipe.

Spend time in nature.

Practice yoga or stretching.

Create space to relax and read for an hour.

Listen to a motivating or feel good podcast.

Purposely stop and take your breaks, eating and being mindfully present.

Listen to an audiobook as you clean or walk.

Goal Setting & Planning:

Review and update your goals.

Visualise your ideal life and use these to create a vision board or mind map. 

Order or download a new journal / planner for your new focus / goals.

Plan your week or month in a way that feels good and achievable.

Set up a productivity system (e.g., Todoist or Sunsama).

Outline and plan your next big project. 

Create a To-do list for the next 7 days.

Creative Expression:

Try a new hobby or craft that you’ve been meaning to start.

Write a poem or short story – allow your mind to wander.

Draw or paint something that inspires you / spend time colouring in.

Create a playlist of music that makes you feel energised.

Listen to music and dance – release some of that energy.

Take a photography walk where you focus on nature / buildings / wildlife.

Collect things from outside and create a collage.

Digital Breaks:

Introduce a no phone before 8am rule.

Spend a day without social media.

Set a screen time limit for your phone each day.

Go for a walk without any devices.

Tools, Resources & Support

Each post I add my favourite tools and resources:

Sunsama – A brilliant task management that is perfect for busy and neurodiverse minds who easily find themselves overwhelmed and distracted. grab a free 2 week trial and free month!

Todoist – Another brilliant organisational and project management tool that my neurospicy brain loves. It has a beautifully minimalist design that helps you identify priorities, create task lists, and helps you to focus on the right things. It works across teams as well as for solo projects.

Thought-Shifting Mini Journal – CBT-Based Thought Shifting Activities + mini journal with prompts

Canva Pro – Upgrade your content design with Canva Pro. Explore the enhanced features available in Pro. Grab your free trial here.

Etsy – Are you ready to create your own online store? Etsy is a brilliant shopping platform that's used by millions. Setting up your store is simple, and when you sign up with this link we both get 40 free listings!

Your Growth System – This all-in-one system for service providers / coaches / therapists / VA's etc. is a perfect way to save time & energy. Improve your productivity and beat procrastination by having everything you need to run your business in one place!

Final Thoughts

I hope you like the 40 reset day ideas – it's a personal thing, and can be applied to any area of life – whether you're looking to reset a project you're focusing on, or you want to make some personal changes.

The fresh start effect can be a great way to kickstart motivation and help you realign your goals.

For years I would wait for a Monday to start eating better, but that just meant I would often overindulge on the weekend before and then lose motivation to implement the new regime.

I do LOVE a Monthly reset though, especially when working n business goals, but the freedom that comes with knowing that you can make the change any day of the week or month is empowering!

Share below what your go-to reset activities are!

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Meet Lynsey

Hey there! I'm Lynsey, a coach, counsellor, and mentor for low energy, introverted or low confident female coaches & small business owners. With over 5 years’ experience of running businesses, and over a decade as a tutor and trainer, I've learned the value of effective time management that energises you through working with your energy.

I've lived with chronic illness – ME/CFS since 2011 and since then I re-trained as a counsellor, and achieved a distinction for my MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice; all while running 4 businesses! I want that for you as well & it is possible with the right support and pathway to success.

Improving your mindset, finding acceptance and developing a solution-focused approach to achieving your goals is my passion. Blending mental health support where needed, as well as a supportive space and methods to manage your work more effectively.

If you'd like to know more about working with me, you can email [email protected] or find me on socials (links in the menu)

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