By Ruzanna Hernandez, Ed.D.

Questions

• Are you ready to make some big changes in your life but not sure how and where to start?  

• Are you feeling like you are not getting enough joy, value, or satisfaction out of your life?

• Do you wish you can stop what you are doing and start all over again by reinventing yourself?

If you answered yes to any or all these questions, this article may be just what you need to get started!  

How to Reinvent Yourself Using a Systematic and Positive Approach

As adults, it’s common for us to stop and reflect upon our lives.  When there is a feeling that something is missing, or we are not living according to our true purpose.  We are not getting enough value out of our lives, and we know we want and need things to change.

How should we reinvent ourselves?  How do we start from scratch? Here is a systematic and positive approach you can use to get going!

1.  Ask yourself questions.

Here are some examples:

• Am I getting enough satisfaction from my current job?

• Is my job what I always wanted to do?

• Am I living with purpose?

• Am I unhappy with my body image?

• Are my personal finances making me unhappy?

• Am I upset with myself for not having obtained more education?

• Would I be happier if I moved out of where I am currently living?

• Is there someone I admire and wish to emulate?

• For those whom I look up to, what do they have that I want to have?

Take time to truly understand what aspects of your life you want to change to be happier, and more content.  This process might take a few months.  However, do not keep questioning and questioning yourself without your questions leading to any solutions.  Be decisive and take charge of your life to make improvements!

 Decide what you are going to change and make a vision board.

The vision board does not need to be anything fancy.  It can include images or just words.  What is more important is the decisions you make about what you want to change.  Do not select more than five.  Here are some examples:

• I want to have a different image of myself.

• I want to live in a slightly larger home with less people.

• I want to finish my bachelor’s degree once and for all.

• I want to be financially independent.

• I want to change my job and work in another field.

• I want to earn more money.

• I want to be in a supervisory/managerial role.

• I want to start a side business that involves my passion.

• I want to travel and see more places.

• I want to have a family.

• I want to have pets.

• I want to be in a career where I can truly make a difference in other people’s lives.

Once you have decided on what you want, see yourself achieving success!  That vision of success will motivate you to keep fighting for your dreams and aspirations!  If there are multiple things you want, be sure to only focus on no more than five.  Any more will cause you to feel overwhelmed.  Remember:  Once you fully realize one major change for the better, you can start working on another!  Take one step at a time.

 Set specific goals that are attainable.

It is not enough to simply visualize and ask for things in your life to be different.  In order to reinvent yourself, you must write specific goals.  Here are some examples:

• Within the next 24 months, I will finish my bachelor’s degree.

• Within 18 months, I will obtain a job promotion to earn more money.

• In order to travel more, I will go on 2 small trips, or one big trip each year.

• For the next 2 years, I will start seeing a counselor or a therapist at least once every week to improve my mental health. 

• I will spend $1,000 to remodel the room of my house where I spend the most time during the day. 

• Within the next 3 months, I will adopt a new dog.

• I will be in a managerial position within the next 18 months.

• I will start volunteering at a local church for 2 hours every month.

If you look at each of the goals listed, they have a specific timeline and deadline.  Each one takes a vision, and makes it more exact and precise, in nature.  They are actually doable and attainable.  They are specific.  They are also measurable; in other words, you can look back and see if you did what you set out to do.

 Set action plans to achieve each goal.  

Once specific goals are written (and they must be written to improve your chances of actually obtaining them), set specific action plans for how you are going to achieve the goal.  This is where you want to have a planner and a calendar handy so you can start scheduling specific things you need to do.  Here are 2 examples:

Goal:  

• Within 18 months, I will obtain a job promotion to earn more money.

Some of the Action Plans:

• Write a 2-page thorough resume.

• Get 3 letters of recommendation.

• Ask to get 3 people to be references for you.

• Read at least 3 job descriptions of positions that you are seeking to make sure you meet qualifications.

• Look for 10 or more interview questions and practice answering each.

Goal:  

• In order to travel more, I will go on 2 small trips, or one big trip each year.

Some of the Action Plans:

• As soon as I get my tax refund money, I will quickly book a trip.

• I will look at my budget to see how much I can afford to pay for a possible trip.

• I will create a specific savings account that is only for saving for trips.

• I will make a list of places I want to visit in the next 5 years.

• Once a week, I will spend 30 minutes researching places to visit that interest me.

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   Monitor your progress.

Since your goals are written down, you have to decide how often you can revisit them to make sure you are on track with achieving them.  For example, if you have a goal that is going to take you three years to achieve, do you want to check in with yourself every 3 months or every 4 months to monitor if you are on track?  If your goal is to be achieved within 3 months, do you want to check in with yourself each week or every few days?

Monitoring goals involves taking 5 to 10 minutes to actually look at the goal you wrote and asking yourself whether or not you are on track.  If not, this is your chance to “get back on the horse!”  If you are meeting the goal, give yourself a little celebration (getting a little desert, going on a small afternoon getaway, purchasing yourself a small gift, etc.)  By celebrating, you are rewarding yourself for pushing forward!

Photo by Andre Furtado from Pexels

Conclusion

It is not easy to reflect upon where you are in life.  You have to be honest with yourself, and that can be overwhelming.  To reinvent yourself, you also have to develop clarity by asking questions – thinking about what would make you happier and better off than where you are now.  Just remember that you deserve more!  You deserve better!  You deserve to make positive changes!  
It is all about mindset, self-discipline, and an organized, systematic plan to change your life. The path you take to reinvent yourself will inspire others around you to do the same! You owe it to yourself, and those around you, to live the life you desire.