Is It Time to Reinvent Yourself?

Let’s talk about you for a minute. Do you have a strong sense of who you are, feel like you know yourself? Does it seem like there’s a new version of you wanting to emerge? Are you curious about trying on a new identity, or shifting some aspect of your life? If so, it may be time to reinvent yourself.
Here are some reasons why you might want to reinvent yourself:
Because you’re being called to
Because you’re curious
Because it’s fun
Because you can
Because life circumstances are asking you to
Because it’s time
What does reinventing yourself look like?
Reinvention comes in all sorts of ways. I had a client once who wanted to explore her feminine side more, so she bought a skirt and started wearing lipstick more often. Someone else I worked with found herself alone at 40 – her husband died shortly after they were married – and wanted to know who this version of herself was, what she liked, how she lived now that her husband was gone. Yet another client reinvented himself from an employee to a business owner and is loving it.
In short, reinventing yourself looks any way you want it to, including acknowledging who you are now – today.
It’s easy to live out of an outdated version of yourself, and not give yourself credit for the shifts you’ve made. Being present with yourself, and knowing who that person is, allows you to catch up to yourself, and discover the you of now. It’s a much easier way to live.
Here are some ways I’ve reinvented myself:
Changed jobs and professions
Moved where I live: a new city, state, house, apartment
Been single, married, and divorced
Went from a caffeinated to decaffeinated coffee drinker
Take a look at your life. How have you reinvented yourself? What reinvention is tugging at you now? When you think about a new reinvention, how, exactly, are you supposed to make it happen?
Here’s how Anne Lamott did it:
We begin to find and become ourselves when we notice how we are already found, already truly, entirely, wildly, messily, marvelously who we were born to be…
Here’s how I became myself: mess, failure, mistakes, disappointments, and extensive reading; limbo, indecision, setbacks, addiction, public embarrassment, and endless conversations with my best women friends; the loss of people without whom I could not live, the loss of pets that left me reeling, dizzying betrayals but much greater loyalty, and overall, choosing as my motto William Blake’s line that we are here to learn to endure the beams of love.
To reinvent yourself, start where you’re at. Tell yourself the truth…
I’m a person
Who likes…
Who’s concerned about…
Who’s afraid of…
Who longs for…
Who secretly wishes that…
Who loves it when…
Who dreams about…
Who’s at peace when…
Who likes this aspect of my life…
Who wants to start…
Who wants to stop…
Who finds joy in…
Who has fun when…
Who’s curious about…
Next, acknowledge what you’ve uncovered. There may be surprising things, fun things, scary things, things you don’t know what to do with. Whatever comes up, trust that you can handle it.
Then, it’s time to take action.
Pick one thing from your list, something you can take action on in the next 1-2 days. Be sure to choose something small – this is an opportunity to practice bringing your new self forward, so there’s no need to rush or pick something too big and freak yourself out.
It could look like this:
Truth: I’m a person who dreams about learning the tango.
Little voice in your head: I’m not that coordinated when it comes to dancing.
Action: I’ll spend one hour today researching local dance studios to see what they offer, what it costs, and how dance classes work, then choose a day to get started with lessons.
Which truth will you check out today? How can you let it pull you forward into your newly reinvented self?
By allowing yourself to catch up and get to know who you are, you can reinvent any aspect of your life. All you need is to give yourself permission to go for it, so why not today?
If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my series on Reinvention:
Part 1: A Case for Reinvention
Part 2: Why Reinvent Yourself
Part 3: What Does Reinvention Mean to You
Part 4: Where Do You Start a Reinvention?
Part 5: What Can You Do to Keep Your Reinvention on Track?
Part 6: You Don’t Need to Do This Alone
An Invitation
Join me in the Reinvention Journey Community, where conversations just like this happen on a monthly basis.
Jump in with other re-inventors like yourself, and become part of a unique community.
You’ll learn things. You’ll get to know groovy cats. You’ll get stuff done. It’s gunna be great!