You don’t need a full life overhaul to begin again.
Sometimes it starts with a single step and a promise to yourself.
Maybe you’ve been there.
You sit in a space that doesn’t feel quite like home.
Days don’t fit the person you’ve become.
You hold back.
Not because you don’t want change, but because you don’t know where to begin.
A friend of mine sat in that space after a divorce in his 50s.
New state.
New job.
Bachelor apartment.
Big questions.
He stayed stuck for months.
Then one day, he made a move.
He bought a can of navy blue paint and brushed it onto one wall of his apartment.
No permission.
No plan.
Just action.
That wall wasn’t decor. It was a declaration.
A quiet, powerful moment of courage.
The kind that doesn’t need applause to matter.
The kind that says: I’m moving forward.
That single act marked a rite of passage.
And in midlife, we need those.
Our culture gives us rituals for youth and old age -- graduations, weddings, retirement parties.
But what about us in the messy middle?
What honors the moment you leave a job that no longer fits?
Or step into a version of yourself that refuses to settle?
Or sit alone in a strange room, heart pounding, and say: It’s time.
If that’s where you are now, don’t wait for someone else to mark the moment.
Mark it yourself.
Choose something small, symbolic, and meaningful that says:
This is real.
I’m not who I was.
I’m not going back.
Try This: Define Your Symbol |
Your version of the navy blue wall might be:
- Say no when you usually say yes
- Sign up for “that class”
- Embrace gray -- on purpose
- Launch a business
- Refresh your resume “just because”
The size of the act doesn’t matter.
What it means to you matters.
If you’re stuck in the waiting room of change, maybe you don’t need more time.
Maybe you just need to paint your wall.
This Week’s Reflection Prompts:
- What’s one small act I could take this week to signal I’m ready to move forward?
- What have I put off? Not because I’m not ready, but because I’m afraid to declare a new beginning?
- What’s one past moment when I made a bold or symbolic move?
- If I created a visible sign of commitment to my next chapter, what would it be?
- What message do I need to hear right now to give myself permission to begin again?
Write about it. Talk it through. Or sit with it on a quiet walk.
You don’t have to do this alone.
But it starts with you.
Download: Your Navy Blue Wall – A Reflection Worksheet
I created a simple worksheet with the reflection prompts to help you reflect on your turning point and choose one small, bold act that says: This is my next chapter.
It’s short. Grounded. Made for you—not for performance.
– Mark
Mark Wigginton, MS, Certified Professional Coach
Helping people like you write the next chapter—one honest step at a time.
📬 MarkW@FocusingOnResults.com
🌐 www.focusingonresults.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn
P.S. If this message resonated with you, it might speak to someone else too. Forward it to a friend who’s ready for their next chapter—you never know what kind of shift a few words of encouragement can spark.
Unsubscribe · Preferences
