5 Steps to Reinventing Yourself

Reinventing yourself may sound like a huge life choice, but reinvention does not have to be costly or time consuming. It is normal to feel stuck and unmotivated sometimes. However, if you make conscious decisions to steer your life in a better direction every day, you will find yourself happier and more genuine than ever before.

1. Decide who you want to be

You feel unhappy, but why? Do you not look the way you would like, are you too shy or too loud, or are you frustrated by old habits? Spend some time listening to your own thoughts as you go about your daily business and identify what parts of yourself you would like to change. Then, spend some time researching who you want to be. Read and research about everyday people who have reinvented themselves, there’s plenty of them out there!

2. Find motivation

A mood board is a fantastic way to keep motivated, and will keep your goals visible. Fill your mood board with motivational sayings and pictures and put it where you can see it each day. Identify points in your life when you felt really proud of yourself, and revisit those memories every day to motivate you to create that pride again. You can also remember negative feelings and promise you will never feel like that again -- but be careful not to get stuck in a pattern of negative thinking.

3. Plan how to get there

Aristotle said, "Excellence is not an act, but a habit." It is important to realize that no one is born worthy of envy, but rather these traits are earned and cultivated. It is important to phrase reinvention goals in an attainable way. Instead of saying "I want to be healthy and toned," say to yourself "I want to be the kind of person who exercises every day." Break down goals into manageable steps, and you will transform your journey from just the promise of a vague goal to a clear path to success.

4. Be loving to yourself

You will trip up, and you will fail sometimes. The whole point of reinvention is to make it easier to love yourself more, so why beat yourself up? You are only human. The best part of reinventing yourself is that, by definition, you can change your mind. If you realize halfway through that you don't suit the version of yourself you were going for, and you no longer think you want to be that person, you can re-evaluate. It’s never too late to pause and think about your situation.

5. Have courage

When you are mired in the habits of a lifetime, stepping outside that comfort zone can be daunting. Others may question your commitment to reinvent yourself. They might insist you are fine how you are, or that they are envious of you now and will resent you if you change, or that you will somehow be "fake" if you change yourself. Gently explain to them you are trying to be the opposite of fake. Reinvention should be the act of making conscious decisions every day to identify and transform into the real you, the self you were always meant to be.

Human beings are changeable in nature, but it is only in the last century that a name has been given and a process devised for self-reinvention. In the digital age it is not only customary but often necessary to update yourself, adopt a fresh-start mentality and try something new. The beautiful thing about reinventing yourself is that it can be done at any age, needs few to no resources and can be done as many times as you want. There is no better time than now to get to know the real you.