My Start-Over Game Is Strong
It always seems like we see the same ole’ cliche on social nowadays: “You’re never too old to start over.”
Well, baby, I’m tired of starting over. And it ain’t got nothing to do with old.
No matter what path, occupation, or lifestyle you choose, starting over is something you’ll probably embrace doing over and over again—even if unconsciously—especially in these (dare I say) post-pandemic times.
This was my first blog for a New York Times publication circa 2006. (Gosh, look at those over-tweezed eyebrows!) At the time, I was a copy editor with her own dedicated space to write lifestyle content for millennials. (Spartanburg Herald-Journal)
Think about it: You “grow up” and get good at the game of college, only to have to “start over” as a grown-ass woman with your first real job and your first real experience with real bills.
Then you “start over” again once you hit a major career milestone like finally getting that coveted manager or director or VP or CEO title.
And even then, you’re starting over, reinventing yourself—relearning things, and un-learning others. (Add in motherhood, becoming a spouse, relocating to a new country, going through a major health scare, or surviving a quarter-life crisis and you’ve got even more times where you’ve had to start over in many ways.)
It’s just something you can’t skip or cheat your way out of.
Starting over is a norm, especially if you’re an ambitious dreamer like me who refuses to let life tell her no (because, God and faith… duh!)
So this is me, yet again, a geriatric millennial, starting over. This has to be about the fifth site I’ve ever built for myself and the 10th blog I’ve ever had. (Anybody remember Xanga? Yea. I totally missed the boat on monetizing my early aughts quips and overshares for sure.)
I hope you’ll follow me as I continue to evolve, to change, to serve, and of course, for many new starts.
Oftentimes, we take for granted the powerful lessons we learn about ourselves when we face a challenge to start over in life. In the interview above, I was super-nervous and actually very insecure about my accomplishments, having held a full-time job as a writer and editor at that point while launching a budding consultancy called The Boss Moves (which has evolved to what I’m doing today).
Just watching that video (above) today reminds me to always remember what it took to develop into the person I am today—a young woman who is yet again at the beginning stages of something scary, new, and exciting.
I can’t stress this enough: Embrace the start-over periods of your life.
Document your journey.
Luckily, I can reference my work via Google archives. If it means journaling, scrapbooking, having a private vlog, or simply taking quiet moments of remembrance, it’s good to be able to look back on what you’ve done and what you’ve overcome so that you don’t forget who God made you to be.)
Enjoy the lessons and hold them dear.
Actually, shift your actions and pivot as a manifestation of growth.
Offer yourself grace.
Pray and be gentle with yourself. Roll with the mistakes and enjoy the detours by practicing radical acceptance when your body and mind tell you to.
Starting over is a privilege and a gift, and I’ll enjoy unwrapping new adventures for as long as I can.
(Oh, and if you just so happened to have stumbled upon this and you’re looking for media consulting, editorial management or other such services, click here.)
Doing the best I can,
Janell
Editor-In-Chief & Founder
Hello Janell
