The survival mentality set in for a while in my life. But it got boring and I needed a change. My life is constantly in reinvention mode because that is how I grow and thrive.
How are you thriving? What changes are you making? The year is half over so it’s a great time to reevaluate what you’ve done so far this year and what you plan to do.
If you are clueless about how to reinvent your life keep reading past the video below. These steps will get you on the path to a new way of thinking which will lead to a new way of life.
How to Reinvent Your Life in 6.5 Steps
Look at where you’ve been (Past)
The first step in reinventing your life is to look at your past. What have you done that worked? What have you done that hasn’t worked? What did you dream about as a young person? What habits have you formed that are good and not so good? Answering these questions honestly is important, because if you do not know where you have been you cannot effectively move forward. Why? Because you don’t learn the lessons of the past and are doomed to repeat the patterns that keep you where you are now.
Look at where you are (Present)
The second step is to look at where you are in your life right now. Are you happy with the way things are going? Is this where you want to be in 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-, or 20-years? What would you do differently? Being realistic about your current situation is important. We sometimes live our lives on autopilot and have no clue about why we are feeling unsatisfied, bored, or unhappy. Take time to occasionally focus in on your life. Examine it and think about what you want it to look like in the future.
Look at where you want to go (Future)
As a kid we dream about what we want to be when we grow up. We make big plans for the future and then life happens, the kids come, and our dreams gather dust. It’s pretty sad when you think about it, but it doesn’t have to be a lost cause. Where you want to be in 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-, or 20-years? What do you want to accomplish? What relationships do you want to have? Who do you want to be?
Chart a Your New Course (Set Your Vision)
With the information you have gathered about your life take your pen and paper, a keyboard, or a tablet and begin jotting down your thoughts and ideas. Think about the little changes you want to see in your life. The awesome thing life is you can make small steps or big leaps. To make it happen you can loosely plan for it or create elaborate plans that will rival the architecture plans for the Sistine Chapel. I’m all for the small steps but at times I will make a big leap. The point is to put document it in a journal or a simple list.
Say Adios to Old Thinking (and People)
As you are making your plans I suggest keeping them to yourself. They are precious and need to be guarded in the early stages. I’ve always held to the practice of showing versus telling people what I want to do. People who have forgotten how to dream have a nasty happy of poo-pooing on your dreams. You don’t need that kind of drama do say goodbye to your old way of thinking and drop the people who aren’t your biggest fans.
Create New Habits (and Implement
Now that you have looked behind, in the present, and to the future as well as charted a new course and said to goodbye to stinking thinking and negative people it’s time to create new habits. These new habits are about creating new actions including thinking positively, repeating affirmations, being consistent and focused. It includes saying yes to situations that align with your goals and no to situations and requests that keep you from your reinvented life.
You may choose to move to a new city or job. You may choose to develop new friendships and connections. You may choose to get a makeover on the outside to match your internal makeover. Whatever you choose to do, whether big and bodacious, or small and simple, do it with a sense of commitment to yourself because you know it will lead to a life only you can live.
Rinse and Repeat
As we travel through this journey called life we will naturally feel stagnate and want change. When you begin to feel this way simply go back through the previous 6 steps. You can use this process over and over again and tweak it as you go.
Have you ever reinvented your life? Are you thinking about making a change? Share your process or your dreams in the comments below.
