At first thought, starting again can seem tough. Fortunately, what you used to do has no bearing on what you can do now. Start where you are now and be practical. Make a decision and a commitment. Create a plan. Identify any destructive behavior patterns or circumstances that regularly stop your progress. Once you've identified them, create a plan to work through them.
1) Verbally express your commitment to your decision
"Commit to your decision" is always a fascinating statement. Commitment is usually up to each individual. Only you can determine how committed you want to be. Sometimes we tell ourselves we're committed to a decision, and we fully believe we're committed. However, everyone else finds out how committed you are when something better or seemingly more important comes along. That's what's scary. We are scared to be held accountable, but for individuals who are "wishy washy" about their commitment, having someone beside you who wants you to succeed is just as important as your decision to commit.
Application: Find an accountability partner. Tell them your goal. Your accountability partner should be someone you want to be proud of you. But just as important as you wanting them to be proud of you, is their willingness to tell you they're proud of you. They also need to be willing to tell you when you're not on track.
2) Create a Plan
When we create plans correctly, we allow ourselves to see past our personal barriers. To create a plan, start with a goal and work backwards. Your plan needs to have a time line, micro goals, a back up plan and a future out look. The plan needs to be written down and shared with the person you verbally expressed your commitment to.
Application: Buy a notebook. Designate this notebook to your planning only. Write down your thoughts.
3) Identify destructive behavior patterns and how you'll over come them
This is probably the hardest part. Saying, "I know what happened, I just wasn't committed," is not predicting destructive behavior patterns. If you look back, it is highly likely, there are behavior patterns, or regular seasons of life that get in the way. Take a really good look at your personal history and determine what they are. Once you've identified what the destructive patterns are, write them down, and plan accordingly.
Application: You already bought the note book. Beside the plan, write down the recurring destructive behavior patterns. Beside the behavior patterns create a plan to over come it.