I once spilled an entire bowl of chia pudding down my washed and only ironed top five minutes before a Zoom meeting. Did I cry? No. I stared at the milky carnage, sighed dramatically like I was in a tragic French film, covered it with my favourite shawl, and pretended everything was fine.
Why? Because EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START my friend, chia explosion or not.
You’ve heard it a million times. “Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday.” And yet, we still do it. We drag yesterday’s baggage into today like an emotional wheelie suitcase with a wonky wheel squeaking, tripping, and catching on every minor inconvenience.
So, let’s unpack that wheelie suitcase, shall we?
Yesterday’s Mess Isn’t Today’s Problem (Unless You Invite It In)
We’ve all had days where we fell flat on our faces, literally or metaphorically. Maybe you said something awkward in a meeting (like that time I accidentally called my boss “Mum”), or maybe your teenager told you they “didn’t ask to be born” while slamming every door in the house.
Maybe you cried in the grocery store car park because your phone died right before your parking app loaded.
Whatever happened yesterday, here’s a bold truth: today doesn’t care.
Unless you care enough to drag it along for the ride.
When you wake up in the morning, you’ve got two choices:
- Scroll through the mental highlight reel of yesterday’s regrets.
- Declare, “NEW DAY, NEW CHAPTER!” and get on with your life.
You’re Allowed to Reset (Even at 2pm With a Cup of Tea and a Biscuit)
Let me tell you a secret. You don’t HAVE to be one of those sunrise yoga, green-juice, "I journaled at 5am" types for your life to be meaningful. You can roll out of bed at 10am, make instant coffee in your PJ’s, and still decide it’s a fresh start.
Your day doesn’t expire just because you had a crap morning.
One of my coaching clients once told me she ruined her day at 8:47am because she yelled at her kids, forgot it was dress-up day at school, and stepped in dog sick while rushing out the door.
I said, “Sounds like you had a rough HOUR. Not a rough LIFE. Start again at 9:16.”
She laughed, made a cuppa, and sent me a message later saying, “I actually had a brilliant afternoon once I gave myself permission to not be perfect.”
YES. THAT.
Real-Life Reboot Moments
The Job That Ghosted Me:
A few months ago, I applied for a job that ghosted me harder than a Tinder match with commitment issues. I’d crafted the perfect cover letter, stalked their entire website, even wore lipstick on the Zoom interview. And then, silence. Not even a “thank you for your soul, but no.”
I spiralled for a bit. Questioned everything. Took it personally.
Then I remembered: THAT’S THEIR ENERGY, NOT MINE. Just because someone can’t see my worth doesn’t mean I’m worthless. It means they’re blind, not that I’m invisible.
So, I dusted off, lit a candle, and created something new instead. (Spoiler: that something turned into one of my best workshops.)
The Time I Gave Up Sugar and Then Binge-Ate a Family Pack of McVitie Chocolate Biscuits:
I’ve tried, folks. I really have. But sugar and I? We’re like Ross and Rachel, constantly on a break, but never really done.
Did I beat myself up after inhaling those biscuits in one sitting while watching NCIS!
A bit. But then I laughed. Because honestly, it’s a biscuit, not a felony. And starting fresh the next day doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t happen. It means choosing not to carry shame into the next snack.
The Magic of a Morning Mindset Reset
Mornings are sacred. Not because of the time, but because of the opportunity. Every morning is basically the universe saying, “Here’s another go. What are you gonna do with it?”
Here’s what helps me:
- No phone for the first 60 minutes. Because the news and your ex’s Instagram story are not what you need before caffeine.
- Gratitude scribbles. Nothing fancy. Just three things that didn’t suck yesterday.
- One tiny win. Make your bed. Stretch. Brush your hair. Or don’t. But choose something to start the momentum.
- Mantra time. I love this one: “I am not my PAST. I am not my MOOD. I am not my BLOODY WASHING PILE.” Say it out LOUD. It always makes me laugh!
You Can’t Build a Future While Living in a Flashback
Here's the thing: ruminating over yesterday’s disasters isn’t going to make today less chaotic. It just means you're missing the ACTUAL JOY that's trying to sneak in through the cracks.
You know those people who seem so calm, so centred, like they live in a constant state of lavender and enlightenment? They’re not immune to life’s mess. They just got good at choosing WHAT they carry forward and WHAT they drop.
You don’t have to haul everything. In fact, the lighter you travel, the more room you have for good stuff, like LAUGHTER, CLAIRTY, and SPONTANEOUS dance parties in the kitchen.
Journal Prompts for a Daily Reset
If you’re stuck in yesterday’s headspace, try one of these:
- What am I ready to leave behind today?
- What would my best self do next?
- What can I celebrate from the last 24 hours, no matter how small?
- What kind of day do I want to have? And what’s one thing I can do to make it happen?
Final Thought (Before You Overthink Everything Again)
You are NOT your worst day.
You’re not your MISTAKES, your MESSES, or your UNBRUSHED hair.
You are a walking story in PROGRESS, and every single morning is a BRAND-NEW page.
So don’t start your day with yesterday’s broken pieces. Glue them into a collage, hang them on the wall of your memory, and move the hell on.
TODAY is YOURS. Your VIBE. Your RULES. Your fresh START.
Even if you start at NOON.
Love this message? Share it with someone who's still stewing about yesterday’s drama. Or someone who needs permission to hit the reset button. (That includes YOU, by the way.)
Bonus Affirmation to Shout in the Mirror (preferably with Beyoncé playing):
"Today, I’m not DRAGGING YESTERDAY'S CRAP INTO MY FRESH, SPARKLY MORNING. I deserve JOY, PEACE, and maybe a CROISSANT or DANISH."
Now off you go. OWN YOUR DAY!
