“A sunrise is God’s way of saying, ‘Let’s start again.” — Todd Stocker
We may all have to start all over again many times to escape financial, mental, and existential extinction and/ deterioration. Starting again is not always a bad thing.
When we prune a tree, we do it to get the best of it and to increase its yield. After pruning, it looks ugly because it’s lost some stems and leaves. Because It lost its lies and assumptions. It undergoes budding again.
Budding is not easy. It’s like starting over again, figuring out a new allocation of resources, getting a new job, changing your house location, learning to live, to yield, to birth, to survive, to look beautiful and worthy.
Budding may mean marketing yourself again but this time for a new venture. It may mean repositioning yourself again. You may have done it before, but this is a new channel, it’s a new business, a new marriage, a new relationship, a new ministry.
Many people hate to bud again. It feels new after a while but you have to first deal with emptiness. Even though hair will grow again, you have to endure looking bald and being laughed at by your friends.
The new business will grow but you have to be disciplined to start from nothing.
Most people want to start again but they don’t know how to. They’re not ashamed or pressured, they’re not thinking about what anyone would say, they just want to start again but each time they try, they find themselves at the same junction they were the last time. This junction is draining, and fuzzy. Many voices rang in their heads and they didn’t know what to attend to. Their options and alternatives became a weapon and not a blessing.
Where do I start From?
Starting again is not the problem most times, but where do you start? Where will guarantee the most effort? What if this one too is not good. What if it breaks and in disappointment? Which of these things should I do?
When people fail, they try to take a long break to heal from the shock and bruise. They hope to show up again refilled with the hope, energy and enthusiasm they lost.
Energy is not as Important as Clarity
When you’re starting again, energy is not as important as clarity. You’d have contemplated a million new business, the method and strategy, new game plan which is fine for a little while. After a while you begin to feel dizzy from complex contemplations. Which should I do? What route should I take? This is where you need clarity.
When you divide yourself among many choices, your energy will split and you will lose your balance and power. Streamline your actions to one thing or a few things you want to start executing on.
Kill Other Plans
After you choose that one thing, kill other plans. Destroy other contemplations. If you don’t, they will kill your most important plan. Not because you can’t do it all, but because you’re limited in energy and focus.
It’s like keeping many crabs in one basket. Many crabs will ensure that no crab makes it out of the basket. One crab in a basket will probably make its way out of the box with little effort.
Here are a few steps to take when you want to start again:
1. Order a post mortem: Find out and ask questions about what caused the last failure. You need this information so you don’t fall into the same ditch the next time you hit the road.
2. You’re not starting from the scratch: this is perhaps one truth you should inscribe on your wrist band when you’re starting again. You are not starting from the scratch, you’re standing in the bricks of experience, skills, exposure, and grit. You’re not the same with the lad who is wet behind his ears and testing the waters. You’re not testing no water, you’re reinvesting your energy, skill and experience into a new channel. So bounce as you walk. You’ve built and toughened and everything you’ve become will guarantee your success at this new enterprise. You didn’t fail, you leant. The lesson was needed and as long as you’re progressing, the study pack will be handy.
3. Take off slowly: Build silently, move deftly, you don’t need the drama and attention when you’re starting again. You don’t need that pressure. This is a race against yourself, you don’t need a big announcement. Remember you’ve not been here before.
Be more interested in the progress you make than the impression you make.
You’re not showing anyone that you’re showing up. It’s not necessary.
4. Systems, systems, systems: The best way to keep promises to yourself is to build systems. The weather will shift and change over your set goals. It will rain when you least expect it, it will be windy when you have no plans, you’d be tired, stressed, discouraged. You’d feel like having a mental block or actually have it, you might even be hanging out with friends, you might forget about showing up. Therefore create a system. In the last three weeks I’ve had to visit the hospital and describe my symptoms to a few doctors. That was not in my plan in January. When I’m out of this, I may forget what I used to do and lose momentum. But structure saves the day regardless of what happens.
Even when the inevitable happens, you can be ploughed back into the structure without losing momentum and direction.
5. Be disciplined: Do what you say you will.
Find people who will break down your door if you break your promises.
Nothing will work if you don’t work, not wishes, not ambition, not prayers, not pity party, nothing. Find a way around your excuses. Do something, do anything, just make it work. It’s less about feelings and more about results. If you work, you will see the result of what you’re building, if you make excuses, you will see nothing.
6. Be patient this time: Good things take time. Old wisdom but it will never go out of fashion. The last one you built and failed at probably took half your lifetime to build. This will not take as much time because you’re standing on a coach of experience but you have to be patient and according to a line from Billy Joel’s 1977 song, “You can’t be everything you want to be before your time”
Here’s 3 ways I can help you
1. Get my Book
My book, Drive will energize your mind and equip you with daily strategy and insight to advance towards your goal without loss of energy and enthusiasm. Its equipped to expand your options and grow your potential. Click here to get your copy. https://wa.link/hlmna2
2. Pick my Brain
Book a 1-hour intensive clarity session where I structure your gifts, talents, experiences, and skills and turn them into clear product and income ideas by sending an email to iyiolaabiola@gmail.com.
3. Build a strong personal or business brand
Let me shape your brand, teach you how to write with clarity, and confidence, help you communicate with purpose, and tell stories that connect, persuade, and convert across all digital platforms.
Have a great weekend and breakthrough
©Abiola Iyiola, 2026
Picture: Freepik
