I Am Ready for a Reinvention... Now What?
Everyone has been here before. You know that feeling when you know it's time for a change, but you don’t know what the change is going to be. You try small changes but they are not cutting it, so you are faced with the fact that it is time for a reinvention. Well, knowing is half the battle -- but what about the other half of the battle, execution? This is the Crossroads Stage of reinvention, the stage when you know something has to happen but you don’t know what and/or how it will. This is where most people stop, because the Exploration Stage is too hard or too time-consuming, so they settle instead of living. This article is for those who are done settling and ready to live. I Am Ready for a Reinvention... Now What? Every day, you reinvent yourself. You’re always in motion. But you decide every day: forward or backward. - James Altucher Here are some techniques that have worked for those stuck in the Crossroads Stage of reinvention: Start with your mindset The first place you should start in any change is with your mindset. It is the foundation to everything you do. You have to know in your mind that you are enough, and that you are the person to make this reinvention happen. You need to know that all of your dreams deserve to become reality and all you have to do is to put the work in to make them happen. You will have this conversation with yourself many times in this process. Get something that reminds you of your why and that will keep you 'growing forward' toward your greater self. I say growing forward because every experience will help you sharpen your iron for the battles to come, and each battle will get easier because you are growing while you are moving forward. Whether it be a picture, affirmations, videos, a journal, or whatever it is, it should remind you in the dark times that you are on a mission that must be finished for YOU! This mission is called your "rainbow moment" for the rest of the article. Map out your focus points Now that you know the mission, it is time to make it plain. Write out all the things you want from your reinvention -- what it will look like, sound like, feel like, etc. Then group the items into focus areas; these will be the main milestones on the journey to your rainbow moment. These will be the points that need to be completed in order for you to know that you have made the changes you need to make to reach elevation on the journey. Take your time with this step, and reflect on the mission during each part. Now these points may change because at this point you don’t yet know what you don’t know. But for now, they are the blueprint for your change. Turn up the internal drive Then it is time to turn up the heat on your drive. This is not the time to have a 'whatever' attitude, this is the time for the attitude of the champion. You have to be like the tree planted by the water, immoveable. People and situations are going to come to steal your joy and shake your belief in yourself, but you have to be strong enough to know that the attack is not the truth. You have to keep growing forward to your rainbow moment, so you can achieve what you deserve for your life. Don’t let others take what is yours, you are the crafter of your life, so claim it and live it today. Turn your internal drive to ten and let the execution begin! Get your execution on Now it is go time! This is where you put all the planning in place and get to work. While you pursue the hard work, you'll have to dismiss the naysayers and allow yourself to grow forward. You make the strides in your life that are needed to make you the person you are destined to be. You let go of the things you can do without and add the things that you can’t. You explore all of the possibilities for greatness, and you capitalize on the things that work for you and your growth. You check off the milestones that you make and celebrate each one because they are bringing you closer to your rainbow moment. When you reach the rainbow moment, you celebrate, then give back. By giving back, you let others know that they can do it too, and you give them the platform to start. Whether it be sharing your story, mentoring someone, or providing an opportunity for someone else to grow forward, you owe it to the world to be the example of the change you wanted to see. Your life is yours to design Now each person reaches their rainbow moment in their own way, but these techniques can help you get there. The point of it all is that you own where you are, and grow forward. Don’t let people and situations deter you from creating your life by design. You deserve to be the person you were destined to be, and that is going to take mindset, focus, drive and execution. It will not be easy, but it would not be worth it if it were. If you use these techniques or any others to reach your rainbow moment of life, then share your experiences in the comments below so that we can celebrate with you and learn from your journey.