“If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten!”
So… you’re ready to move from the dreaming phase to the action phase and Reinvent some part of your life.
How many of you are reading self-help books and listening to inspirational podcasts to motivate you? How many lists have you made about what you’re going to do with this great new idea? Do you have notes all over the place with great ideas and brainstorms that you can’t wait to get to work on? You have this great idea that you want to launch but you think you need more time to think before you actually do it, right?
I’m all for being a student of life, spending time learning about the world and ourselves, learning how to improve, reflecting on these lessons, and growing as a human being to develop our ideas. BUT, when it starts to become an excuse for not getting off our butts to do something that we have been dreaming about, we can get stuck in this dreaming phase. Analysis causes paralysis, and it sounds like you’re caught up in this conundrum.
So how do we get out of it? Well, why not put those books and phones down and start moving on the task at hand and you will get the rewards you’re seeking. See what happens if you make a plan and start to act on it. Learn from the process, teach yourself while on your journey, overcome the obstacles and make your next chapter come alive one baby step at a time.
One strategy that has helped me move from the dreaming phase to the action phase is visualization. You already know what your dream is, the next step is to visualize it becoming a reality, and then to build on that vision.
Treat this like you would a project at work or an assignment that shoots to the top of your priority list. After visualizing it, create a work plan - a roadmap - that breaks down all the steps that you might need to go through to reach your goals. What differentiates this project from everything else on your plate is the fact that it’s FOR YOU.
Set aside an hour, grab a pen and paper, and start to chart the following:
· What is your Reinvention project?
· Is this a short term Reinvention or a lifetime career or game-changing Reinvention?
· What are the things you need to learn, read, buy, create, engage in to know more or attain
elements of it?
· Who do you know that you can talk to about this or how can you reach others in this field to
help, inspire and motivate you?
· How many hours a week can you afford to spend on this?
· What weekend time can be devoted to it?
· What, in your current life will you need to do differently in order to focus and dedicate time
to this?
· What and who are the obstacles that are in your way?
· Is this a passion project or is it a means to an end for you?
· What are the things/people at your fingertips and easily accessible that you can take
advantage of and utilize to further your goals?
· What are the rewards and payoff for you in accomplishing this reinvention?
· What are you seeking in this process?
· Who in your life will be affected by this – good and bad?
· Is money and your financial well-being connected to this and if so, what are your financial
goals?
· Will your current financial situation be affected by this process and how can you balance
this approach?
· Will this provide you with satisfaction and make you happy?
These questions are the tools that will set you on the path into the action phase, but only YOU can make this Reinvention happen. It might be something as simple as learning Italian, going to the gym regularly, picking up a new hobby… All of these little Reinventions will nurture your soul and give you control over your life in ways you can’t imagine.
All you really need to do is dedicate a piece of your schedule to this Reinvention and you will find that, in time, your life will begin to change. Try it for 30 days - be relentless, fight for something you believe in, be passionate and don’t give up.
Go ahead, Reinvent Your Life! What are you waiting for?
Enjoy and #HappyReinventing!
Kathi Sharpe-Ross