Reinventing yourself is something that crosses a lot of people’s minds.
Sometimes it’s called a mid-life crisis. Sometimes it’s after a significant change in your life. Or it could be one of a million and one other reasons.
We’re not like Dr Who, so we can’t regenerate into a completely new look (even plastic surgeons can’t do that completely) but there are things we can do to reinvent ourselves either partially or completely.
Start by asking yourself if you really want to change?
It’s a yes or no answer to this question.
If you’re sitting on the fence by saying “maybe” then you’re not going to change, no matter how much you pretend otherwise.
And if you answered “no” then click the back button now!
If so, change by how much?
There’s a lot of degrees to change.
Anything from a change of hair colour to a change of sex and near enough any point inbetween.
You need to sit down and detail out how much you want to change.
A relatively easy way to do this is to set aside some time – I’d suggest at least 30 minutes initially – and start to write down where you see yourself in a year’s time. This will help clarify the changes you need to make as, by using your imagination, you’ll be able to tell what the future you looks like, how they act, who they interact with and all the other factors involved.
The more detailed you can make your future self visualization, the more likely it is that you’re serious about making the change and what the result will be.
Start a “to do” list
This is an important step in the process.
I’m assuming that the change you want to make is fairly radical. After all, reinventing yourself shouldn’t just be a new wardrobe although obviously that could be part of the equation.
Like the previous section, the more detail you can put into this, the better.
Identify as many of the steps needed as possible.
Some could be relatively small – maybe changing your name or how you spell it or pronounce it. If that’s the case, do you need to change it officially by Deed Poll or the equivalent in your own state or country. The rules vary considerably so you need to check that you’re compliant with any regulations.
Other things could be a more major. You’ll know what they are depending on how much reinventing you’re aiming to do. It’s a good idea to split major tasks into smaller steps otherwise you’re likely to feel overwhelmed.
Talk it through
Big decisions are rarely best taken in isolation.
Talk your decision through with friends and family,
This will also help you to crystalize what you want to happen and where you want to be once your reinvention has happened.
Don’t be afraid to adjust your plans according to any comments and feedback you receive. But equally don’t give up if you get a few negative comments (unless your reinvention is half hearted, in which case it’s probably better to find that out now).
Commit to it
If you don’t make a commitment to your reinvention, there’s a good chance it won’t happen.
Much like the list of resolutions you repeat at the start of each year.
The commitment needs to be strong – announcing what’s happening to anyone and everyone who’ll listen. Splashing it across Facebook and Twitter and anywhere else that people who’ll hold you to account hangs out.
Post updates
Updates tell you and anyone else who cares to check how you’re doing.
You can do this anywhere you find easy – a few years ago, it would probably have been a blog, nowadays it’s probably easiest on Facebook or, if your makeover is visual, Pinterest or Instagram.
Commit to updating at regular intervals – it doesn’t have to be a specific time unless you’re happy with that kind of schedule but every day or every few days or every week would all be good schedules.
Don’t be afraid to report “nothing to report” – it saves people from guessing whether you’re still aiming for your reinvention or have just forgotten to post an update.
But beware if every update says “no progress” as that probably means you’ve changed your mind – nothing wrong with that, not everything that seemed like a good idea actually is.
Get help when needed
Chances are, your reinvention won’t be totally straightforward – if it was, you’d have done it already.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Whether it’s moral support from friends, actual help from specialists or the day-to-day support of reminding yourself that you’re in this to make it happen. Maybe by regularly playing yourself a reinvent yourself MP3 – that can help your subconscious mind to get on board with the changes that need to happen.
I wish you every success in the reinvention of yourself!
