Why You’re Not Back at Square One
It’s halfway through the year, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably looked at your goals or your vision board and felt a quiet voice whisper: “I should be further along by now.”
One of my biggest goals for 2025 is to break even in my business. But here’s the reality: halfway through the year, I’m not halfway there yet.
After more than three and a half years of running my own bookkeeping and accounting practice, I have found myself with an emergency fund almost completely depleted, sunk into the business I’ve worked so hard to build. And so, a pivot became necessary. I’ve returned to employment.
It’s been almost a month now, and if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: going back was the right move for me. Anything else would have been like pretending not to see what was clearly in front of me. Akin to an ostrich with my head buried in the sand.
So that little sentence; “I should be further along by now”carries so much weight.
It’s easy to look at where we are and feel behind. Off-track. Like we’re starting from square one again.
But here’s what I’ve been reminding myself lately: Starting over is never really from scratch!
💭 You’re Not Back at the Beginning
Even if your circumstances look familiar…
Even if you’re re-setting goals you set last year…
Even if you’ve had to rebuild after loss, change, or burnout…
You’re not the same person.
In my case, I’m stepping back into employment with more clarity, confidence, and financial awareness than I had when I left. I’ve made mistakes, met clients, dealt with unpredictable income, had to dig deep, budget tighter, and make tough calls. That lived experience doesn’t just vanish, it comes with me.
You’ve seen things.
You’ve learned lessons, some the hard way.
You’ve made connections, collected wisdom, and survived days you thought you wouldn’t.
There’s richness in all of that. Even if it doesn’t show up in your bank account, on your LinkedIn profile, or in your monthly planner.
🌱 What You’re Really Carrying Forward
You’re bringing with you:
Experience, even if things didn’t go to plan
Resilience, even if you felt like you barely made it
Intuition, shaped by choices that worked and the ones that didn’t
Relationships, even if a few needed to be left behind
Small wins, even if they didn’t make the highlight reel
This is not the same starting point. It’s a continuation; with more tools, more insight, and a stronger sense of what matters to you.
That’s why, for me, returning to employment hasn’t felt like failure, it’s been a release!
I can now run my business without the pressure of survival. I can serve clients who are the right fit, instead of saying yes from a place of fear or urgency.
It’s not an ending; it’s a recalibration; and it’s already making a difference.
🧡 Let This Be a Mid-Year Reframe
So if you’re resetting or reshuffling this month, you’re not failing, you’re being intentional. You’re making informed choices based on what you now know.
That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
And the truth is: there’s no shame in circling back if it helps you move forward.
✍🏾 Journal Prompt (or just something to think about):
What am I carrying forward; skills, mindsets, people, wisdom, that remind me I’m not starting from scratch?
For me, it’s the resilience I built navigating self-employment, the confidence to talk money with anyone, and the clarity that comes from knowing what enough looks like. What’s yours?
💌 If this post resonated:
Leave a comment or message me. I’d love to hear your reflections.
Share this with someone who feels like they’re “starting over.”
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