It’s impossible to never need a reset. No matter how on top of your home, schedule, or daily habits you are, everyone needs a full life reset sometimes.

Maybe you feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up instead. Either way, everyone needs time to get collected and readjust.

I typically do a reset twice a year, though some seasons call for one every quarter.

It’s rarely planned. When I need it, I do it.

My 5-Step Full-Life Reset Routine

I was overdue for a full reset the last time I actually sat down and did this. Planning a stretch of family trips turned into everyone in the house catching COVID and a stomach bug, back to back, all while I was pregnant with Chloe.

No matter how careful you are with your routine, life can get crazy.

Resting is part of getting things done. Sometimes your body demands that you stop, whether that means canceling plans or taking a break when your emotions are running the show.

Whatever it takes, getting back to a neutral place is necessary.

I’ve noticed I tend to do the same five things in the same order every time I reset. When I follow these steps, my capacity to be productive shoots up.

#1. Finances

This first step is imperative to a successful reset.

No one loves looking at their financial situation (or is it just me?). It has to happen anyway.

Most areas of your life depend on your finances. Whether you have more than enough or you’re struggling to get by, you need to know where you stand.

If you’re anything like me, you like to look at all the data, what’s coming in, what’s going out, and how much both fluctuate.

That’s exactly what Matt and I’s financial spreadsheet covers, breakdowns and all. I’d suggest making edits that work for you, though, since mine isn’t one-size-fits-all.

None of this is financial advice. Staying familiar with your own numbers means knowing what you can spend on your next vacation, or on drinks with friends.

If you want ideas on where to start, try some of the ways we’ve saved money without much sacrifice.

This part of your reset might mean creating a new savings goal, or noticing a subscription that isn’t paying off anymore and canceling it. It’s simple, but knowing where you can step forward financially is relieving.

#2. Schedule

Is there anything as chaotic as trying to keep track of every plan, meeting, and due date in your head?

Time management tools are lifesaving. I personally use Google Calendar to keep my days straight.

For team projects, Asana is what my team and I use to stay coordinated.

Prioritize with rocks first, sand second

There’s a method for prioritizing your schedule, illustrated by a jar filled with rocks or sand. You start by filling the jar with rocks (the important, life-changing tasks) first, then sprinkle in the sand after.

Otherwise you’ll dump in the sand (the little things that aren’t necessary) and have no room left for the rocks. A year filled with sand might feel busy, but you’ll look back and have nothing to show for it.

For me, the rocks I start with are family vacations. I want to prioritize time with my family, and that’s non-negotiable.

Next I think about how I want to build my career. Partnerships, collabs, or classes I want to take on get added to my schedule after that.

I’m not someone who wants something planned every week. I want downtime to recharge, or I get burnt out.

Where you spend your time is where you spend your energy. We all have a limit, so it matters where you spend it during a reset like this.

But where does your energy come from? Your home.

#3. Home

Your home takes a beating when life gets crazy. It’s easy to put it on the back burner to make room for everything else, which is exactly why it needs a reevaluation during a full life reset.

There are plenty of ways to make your home more supportive of your life, whether that’s adding something in or decluttering what’s no longer needed.

I’d bet you already know what you need to get rid of or bring in. You’ve been thinking about it for a while, you just haven’t had the time.

The time is now.

As kids get older, what your home needs to function also changes. Even without kids, a new hobby, goal, or passion can require something new from your space.

Your home should support you and motivate the change instead of giving you an excuse to avoid something new.

What my home reset actually looked like

My home reset started with a deep clean, done both before and after that round of sickness. Next I replaced my dining room chairs, since the old ones had broken, something I’d been meaning to do for a while.

The new chairs ended up scuffing the floor, so I needed a rug. The first one they sent was wrong, but I got refunded and sent the correct one.

When it was all done, I loved the space with the new chairs and rug. It felt cozy, and I even ended up with a spare rug for the living room.

I spent more intentional time revamping the bathroom and decluttering the spaces that inevitably get out of control, aka bathroom and bedroom drawers. Having that done feels like a weight lifted.

#4. Nourishment

What are you putting in your body? This one was big during that particular reset, given how much sickness was going around our home while I was pregnant with Chloe.

Every time I slow down or get sick, I get extra mindful of what I’m consuming.

Anytime you decide to work on health as a whole, I recommend starting with nutrition before exercise. Focus on what your body needs to heal and get back to neutral, then start pushing it again.

Proper nourishment is about more than “being healthy.” It’s what allows you to feel good enough to do the things you love.

#5. Fitness

I’m a true believer that physical fitness goes hand in hand with mental fitness. Both matter equally in a full life reset.

Feeling rested and full of energy often means meditation or a full body reset for me. Those mental exercises tend to make me physically calmer, or just better all around.

After a reset like that one, I was itching to get back into yoga. Every time I take a break and life gets crazy, I get almost scared to start again, worried I’ll be shaky or unable to touch my toes.

Those things might be true, but the payoff of how I’ll feel after I start is SO worth it.

Reset, Feel Better

And just like that, a full life reset is complete.

These are the steps I take for my own resets, and they can flex to work for just about anyone.

If you want the bigger picture of how all these pieces, money, time, home, health, and energy, fit together, start with how to simplify your life for more time, energy, and mental capacity.