Resetting Without the Pressure – Starting Fresh, Even If You’re Late

Marlene Le Roux
Jul 4
3 min read

Well… it’s July.

And if you’re anything like me, you meant to start the month with a bang.

Instead, you might’ve started it with a box of tissues, half a to-do list, and that odd limbo between “motivated” and “just tired.”

Same.

I caught a bit of a head cold (classic timing), and while I planned to launch into the new financial year like a vision board come to life… I mostly launched into herbal tea, heat packs, and aggressively ignoring my email notifications.

But here’s the thing I’ve learned — both from coaching and personal life:

You don’t need to start perfectly. You just need to start.

🎯 The Myth of the Perfect Reset

We love the idea of a “fresh start.”

New week. New month. New financial year. New planner that somehow holds all our hopes and dreams in 96 recycled pages.

But what happens when the 1st rolls around and you’re:

Behind on sleep
Behind on goals
Behind on laundry
And definitely not eating as clean as you said you would?

(Confession: I had left over pasta for dinner last night. It was delicious. No regrets.)

What happens is: we don’t start.

Because if we can’t do it properly, what’s the point?

Sound familiar?

But that mindset — that “all or nothing” thinking — is what keeps us stuck.

🌿 Start Where You Are (Even if You’re on the Couch)

The truth is, your body doesn’t care if you start your new routine on the 1st of the month or the 4th.

Your gut isn’t checking your calendar.

Your energy levels don’t care if you’re using a fancy new wellness journal or the back of an Aldi receipt.

They care that you’re doing something.

That you’re moving. Nourishing. Breathing. Resting when you need it.

So, if you’re starting a few days late — or even a few weeks late — I want you to know:

You’re not behind. You’re just getting ready.

🛑 The Reset Rules (that don’t exist)

There’s no rulebook that says you must have:

❌ A spotless house

❌ A colour-coded routine

❌ A perfectly balanced meal prep line-up

❌ Kids who happily eat quinoa

(We can all dream though, right?)

In fact, most of my personal resets start with two things:

A mental pep talk in the shower
A basic plan scribbled on a sticky note

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

Other times, it takes a walk, a phone call, or reminding myself that one “off day” doesn’t mean I’ve failed at life.

🧘‍♀️ Resetting in Real Life

So what does a real reset look like?

Let me give it to you straight — not the Instagram version.

My July Reset So Far:

✅ Started drinking more water

❌ Still snoozing my alarm

✅ Got back to journaling (sporadically, but hey, effort counts)

❌ Skipped two workouts because… life

✅ Made a soup that didn’t taste like dishwater

❌ Didn’t have Breakfast till 5pm one day (don’t judge me)

Am I failing? Nope.

I’m human.

And chances are, if you’re reading this — so are you.

📓 Try This: The One-Thing Reset

Instead of trying to overhaul your life by Friday, try this:

Pick one area to reset this week. Just one.

Here are a few ideas:

☀️ Morning Routine: Get up 10 mins earlier to stretch or breathe (not scroll).
🥗 Gut Health: Add one wholefood to every meal. Just one.
📵 Mindset: Put your phone down 30 mins before bed. Or don’t. But at least pretend to try.
📥 Food Awareness: Use the Food & Mood Diary to notice how food actually makes you feel — not just what looks “healthy.” (It’s free, btw.)

It doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to happen.