If you’ve been wanting a fresh start — even a quiet one — this is where it begins. You hold the pen. You decide what happens next. This guide will show you how to leave the Old You behind and step into the version you’re ready to become. So, ask yourself: is there someone you’d rather be than the person you’ve become?

START WITH A BLANK PAGE

To do that, you’ll need to understand yourself clearly, choose your next direction deliberately, and take small steps that align with the version of you you’re becoming. So, grab a notebook and start with a blank page. And if you feel some fear around discovering what makes you the person you’ve become, recognise it for what it is: a natural part of change. Nothing more.

“One of the biggest barriers to reinvention are the self-limiting beliefs we carry with us, which box us in and prevent us from even trying.” – Dr Susan Kahn

Just say: “Today is my blank page.”

STEP 1

Meet the Old You

What you need to do:

Write a paragraph describing the Old You. Be honest. This is about clarity, not judgement. You can’t write a new chapter if you can’t see the old one clearly.

Include sentences like:

• “Back then, I stood for…”
• “What mattered most to me at the time was…”
• “The routines I settled into were…”
• “The labels I lived under included…”
• “I tolerated…”
• “My strongest qualities then were…”
• “The weaknesses that held me back were…”

Why it matters:

Seeing the Old You in writing reveals patterns you may have accepted for years without questioning them.

Two quick actions:

• Write down one belief that no longer serves you.
• Write the main reason you want to move away from the old you.

On the page, write:
“I’m ready to move on because…”

STEP 2

Define the Future You

What you need to do:

Write a paragraph describing the Future You — the version you’re growing into.

Include sentences like:

• “The person I want to become is someone who…”
• “I want to think, behave and carry myself by…”
• “The values I live by now are…”
• “The goals that matter at this stage are…”
• “The strengths I’m choosing to expand are…”
• “The traits I’m ready to retire are…”

Why it matters:

This paragraph acts as your compass. It helps you recognise when your actions match your intentions — and when they don’t.

Two quick actions:

• Identify one reason this version feels more “you.”
• Keep this paragraph close — it guides your choices.

On the page, write:
“My future self feels more ‘me’ because…”

STEP 3

Compare Both Versions of You.

Read your Old You and Future You paragraphs side by side.

Why it matters:

The contrast gives you clarity. It shows you exactly what needs to change and where your next chapter naturally wants to go.

Do this:

• Identify what no longer fits
• Identify what you’re being drawn toward

On the page, write:
“I’m leaving behind…”
“I’m moving towards…”

STEP 4

Make One Bold Choice a Week

What you need to do:

Choose one action each week that the Future You would choose.

Why it matters:

Bold choices — even small ones — create movement. Without movement, your story stays the same.

Choose:

• trying something new
• shifting an old routine
• saying yes to something unexpected
• saying no to something you’ve outgrown

On the page, write:
“My bold choice this week is…”

STEP 5

Reflect Daily

Check in with yourself at the end of each day.

Why it matters:

Reflection helps you notice your progress and adjust your behaviour. This is how your story evolves — quietly, steadily, intentionally.

And ask yourself:

• What changed?
• What challenged me?
• What am I grateful for?
• What should I adjust tomorrow?

On the page, write:

“Today I felt I’d achieved something meaningful because…”

Final thoughts

You’re not starting over — you’re starting honestly.
You get to choose the story that fits who you are now.
And you’re not doing it alone. The FNG walks this path with you — steady, grounded, and ready for the next page.

“Even at 60, people can resolve to make themselves more the people they would like to become.” – Ravenna Helson, Professor of Psychology University of California.

Today is blank. Write something true. This is your story now.