Reinventing Yourself for Your Future: A Guide to Personal Transformation

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What Does It Mean to Reinvent Yourself?

To reinvent: “To change someone or something so much that the person or thing seems completely new.” (Dictionary.cambridge.org)

Reinvention is the intentional process of shifting your mindset, habits, or life direction to become a more aligned version of yourself. It’s not about erasing who you are—it’s about evolving into who you want to be.

Do you ever think about someone you know and immediately a word comes to mind? Recently, during an interview with a local business network guru, the word “reinvent” came to my mind. This woman consistently reinvented herself through transforming her mindset in order to overcome her shyness and attend a business networking group; she eventually started her own group. Also over the last year, with the help of a local weight-loss organization, she has lost almost 40 pounds. With regard to her business, she reinvented her self-employment goals and strategies from being locally driven and product-producing focused to being an international, web-based business which includes the sale of the same product designs. These business changes allowed her to survive a recession.

This small business owner indicated that her mother, who passed over 30 years ago, was inspirational to her. Her mother battled her own health issues, all the while being a local artist and active in her church. The interviewee stated that she continuously took “everything in stride” and “brushed off grumpiness with positivity”. The reinvention of oneself can influence the next generation. The interviewee laughed with gusto as she talked about her mother and herself, even while discussing past difficulties.

How Reinvention Supports Personal and Relational Growth

According to the article “Women in Leadership: Your Success is in Your Attitude” (Co-Active Training Institute), reinvention is key to success in terms of the following areas:

• Having a positive mental attitude.
• Experiencing and communicating emotions in a healthy manner.
• Being flexible in facing challenges.
• Employing key leadership skills relating to the management of time, finances, energy, and how to communicate.
• Being able to persevere and stay on track.
• Supportive relationships and mentoring.
• Taking responsibility for personal strengths and weaknesses.

These same principles apply to relationships. When you reinvent yourself, you bring a healthier, more grounded version of yourself to your partnerships. If you’re working on rebuilding trust or reviving intimacy, personal reinvention can be a powerful first step. (See our articles on trust in relationships and reviving intimacy.)

Taking the First Step Toward Reinvention

For International Women’s Day, grab hold of reinvention. Begin to take the step forward. One day, you also may laugh with gusto at the past and in doing so positively influence the little girls around you. Whether you choose to work with a reinvention coach or take steps on your own, the journey starts with a single decision to change.