12 Signs It’s Time To Start Over

Sometimes you need a big change to make your life better. But that big change can be a little scary. There’s often no turning back when it comes to quitting your job and moving across the country. That fresh start can mean the difference between living a stagnant existence or finally living the life you’ve always wanted. Not sure if you’re ready? Here’s how you can tell if it’s time to start over. You’ve got this, babe.

1. You feel stuck. When you look around at your life–your job, your friends, your love life–it feels like you’re wading waist-deep in slowly hardening cement. You don’t feel like you have control over your life, but you do. You just have to make a big change.

2. Your life has become boring. The stuff that normally felt so exciting just feels lackluster now. Nothing amazing happens anymore, and that’s not a good feeling.

3. You’re sick of the daily grind. Most people don’t like their jobs, but that doesn’t mean you just have to sit back and accept it. There are millions of other jobs out there, so why are you staying complacent at the one that makes you feel unhappy every day? I promise you that everything will end up okay if you quit. Heck, you’ll probably be better off.

4. You’ve started putting yourself last. Your own happiness has become second, third, or even last when you’re making decisions. You’ve begun thinking that how you feel doesn’t matter. It does! Everyone is better off when you’re happy and healthy, not just you. Put yourself first.

5. You keep making the same mistakes. You know that famous adage: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If the status quo has left you wanting more, time to change things up.

6. You look around and nothing seems the same. When you really examine your life, it isn’t how you wanted it to be. Sure, you were happy with your life once, but you aren’t now.

7. You’ve started burning bridges. You may be taking a “fuck it” attitude, your unconscious mind burning bridges. You’ve ended friendships, made your life harder at work. That’s your way of starting over without actually making the decision. You might as well go all the way with it and start over. And maybe stop burning those bridges, because it’s always nice to have people to come back to if you need.

8. Your comfort zone doesn’t feel so comfortable anymore. You once felt safe staying home, comfortable at your favorite coffee shop where you swiftly became a regular. But now? Those comfort zones are no longer comfortable. Clearly it’s time to leave the zone.

9. Your dreams are on hold because you aren’t in a place to achieve them. You dream of owning a home, but you live in an expensive area. You want to get your dream job, but there are no opportunities in your town. You want to find love, but you’ve exhausted your options here. This is proof from the universe that you aren’t where you need to be.

10. You feel like you need to make a big change. This isn’t the first time you’ve thought about starting over. This has been on your mind for a while. If that feeling isn’t going away, you should start seriously considering it.

11. The thought of starting over doesn’t make you cringe. People who are happy with where they are in life absolutely hate the idea of starting over. It sounds like a nightmare to them. But you? The thought gives you comfort.

12. You feel like you’re ready. Sometimes, we feel like starting over on a whim. Maybe we’re going through a big breakup and the thought of packing up and moving across the country sounds nice. Maybe that’s just your flight response as you deal with heartbreak. Fleeting thoughts of starting over are sometimes best ignored. But if you still feel ready to start over even without one small stressor, your instincts could be right. Listen to your heart.