5 Tips for How to Reinvent Yourself - Christine Kane

There’s change in the air.

More than ever, people are being called to stop living superficially, to let go of a life of “shoulds,” and to create authentic purpose-driven days full of happiness, wealth, and spirit.  Everyday and everywhere, women are reinventing themselves. It’s almost as if it’s impossible to stop this amazing flow!

And of course, there are many who might know this truth – but they hold back because they don’t believe it’s possible for them.  (If this is you, then read on!)

I’ve been through two major reinventions.  And I’m telling you from personal experience, it’s not only possible – it’s imperative to your happiness.

Reinventions are not just external.  They require huge paradigm shifts.  In fact, true reinvention happens on the inside more than on the outside.  (It just that by the time people start to notice you’ve reinvented yourself, they can only see the external changes!)

But it doesn’t have to be dramatic or painful. In fact, it’s quite a hoot. You’ll thank yourself for it, I promise!

So, from Christine’s “Been-There-Done-That” files, here are five tips for How to Reinvent Yourself.

1 – Use the Power of Intention

Usually, reinvention starts when someone looks around at her life and says, “Wow. This is NOT working. I am not happy.”

The next step after that?

Intention.

I LOVE and LIVE BY the power of intention.  It’s why the Uplevel Your Life Mastery Program begins with intention – and uses intention throughout the transformation process.  Intention starts the ball rolling.

Ask yourself: What do I want to create more of in my life?  Who do I want to BE?  Use these answers to begin crafting an intention.

2 – Don’t Wait for the HOW

Don’t worry about HOW it’s all going to happen.  This will only stop you in your tracks.  When we try to make the HOW happen, we aren’t allowing the Universe (and our soul!) do its work.  We’re so busy opening up the oven to see how things are going, that nothing really gets cooking!

The true lesson of reinventing yourself is trust.  You have to trust the power of your intention, and the power of this process.  It’s easier said than done, but it never stops being the ultimate lesson!

3 – Slow Down to Speed Up

After you set your intention, there might be a slow down period.  That’s because you have to let go of some of the old in order for the new to arrive. During this time period, most of the people in your life will think you’ve lost your mind.  🙂

One of my self-reinventions was the transformation of my music career into an on-line model that included coaching and mentoring women.  When I began this transition, I experienced one whole year of questions from my musician and songwriting friends: “Ohmigod, what’s going on? You’re NEVER on the road anymore!” They were downright worried for me.

I had to clear out the old. I had to slow down to speed up.  The “slow down” period is why so few people want to reinvent themselves. It can be very uncomfortable to keep your focus on your intention, while everyone wants you to justify your choices.

(Trust me on one thing, okay?  When things pick up again, everyone will want to know your secret! It will suddenly seem like you did it effortlessly!)

4 – Take Action

Slowing down to speed up doesn’t mean you sit back and watch television.  You must take action.  You might feel, at first, like you’re stumbling and fumbling – but a steady movement forward helps the process.

People who believe it’s ALL about positive thinking are forgetting that human beings are meant to take action and use their bodies, too. Our bodies are a huge part of our powerful creative system!  Use yours and take action!

5 – Get Support!

You may have a hard time finding encouragement when it comes to reinventing yourself.  That’s because the mainstream world is all about playing it safe and seeking security.  Your friends and family may not be excited to learn that you are creating transformation for your life.

You need to seek out support! Coaches, mentors, books, audios – they are all terrific resources!

Don’t try to do this on your own, okay?

In fact, you can start tomorrow night!  Click the link below to watch my new video – and then join me for a free two-part tele-course on Upleveling Strategies for 2012!

http://uplevelseminars.com

23 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Rachel Henke

    Love this post Christine! A powerful reminder of how all we need to do is just live more fully in the moment and decide what we want. Sometimes much trickier than it sounds though!

  • Lisa

    Really great advice. Turned 50,out of work,and trying to re-invent. This is pretty scary.Currently trying to let go, accept, trust has definately been a challenge for mysself.
    The positive about all this re-invnetion is I say to myself :

    One Command

    I don’t know how I know that I do now and I am fulfilled
    Thank you, I am Fulfilled.

    Thanks
    Lisa

  • Diona Devincenzi

    Awesome advice!
    Diona

  • Dena

    Awesome advice! I love this concept of reinvention.

  • Mary S.

    Christine – this is my “nth” reinvention! Wish I’d read this 20+ years ago – would have made all these transitions so much easier & things would have made more sense at the time they were happening.
    I’m now FINALLY doing what I enjoy: writing & researching articles for an online education site (my new ‘day job’;). I also have some other ‘irons in the fire’ that I still want to do: write & illustrate a children’s book, create an online herbal nurturing retail presence, and *maybe* start attending trade shows and fairs again as well as take up fantasy writing once more.
    On points 3 & 4: I’ve learned also that the ‘slowing-down’ phase will probably hit you like a cosmic dopeslap upside the head if you don’t plan and make room for it in your life/ schedule. When it truly is time for a transition, if you continue to hang on desperately to what no longer works or try to juggle too much old vs new at once, you’ll succeed only in making yourself ill and/ or burned out. That’s not fun! Rather than working frenetically til major burnout inevitably sets in (from too much ‘HOW’ and not enough TRUST), why not, as you show, acknowledge, plan and make room for that transition time?
    As to #4, burnout can lead to a point where taking action again is so depleting that you’re tempted to just shove it all aside & crawl back into that comfortable old rut. Just as with the seasons of the year, we need time to gather in our resources, sit back for a bit and perhaps contemplate where we go from here, where is my heart in this, where to plant the seed within – before moving forward again with renewed energy and purpose.
    Thanks again for an engaging and insightful post!
    Brightest blessings – Mary S.

  • Heather Calhoun

    I particularly like ‘#4 – Take Action’. This is such a tricky element, because I have seen (myself included) so many people ‘get ready to get ready.’ All that does is frustrate you. Go do what you are meant to do! Thanks for a great post!

  • Ramona King

    Christine, I so appreciate your article. The slow down period has been a big challenge… specifically because I didn’t think about how the slow down period could help me speed up. So here is where I have been impatient…breathe. …and yes, I have been pre-occupied with the “How”. It takes a lot of faith to believe in myself fully and just know that the “how ” shows up when I do my part…trust my intention. For the slow down period I was inspired by your article to let go of papers and clothes that no longer serve me…. ohhhhhh, okay, so I’m holding out…I’ve got wall to wall books… some of them need a new home so I can have some breathing space. Your article is also messing with my conscious :)!

  • Carolyn Shobe

    Just wanted to share something neat about Intention. My daughter and her husband are fostering a child with the intention of adopting her if all the kinks work out. Yesterday, the Home Health Nurse
    told her that babies sense the “intentions of the family in which they are living.” She said this little girl was obviously thriving and happy. Most babies lose weight when they go home from the hospital. This little precious girl has gained 6 ounces in less than two weeks. I couldn’t wait to tell you (: Carolyn

  • Mary Jo Campbell

    Christine,
    I’ve been a follower of yours for almost a year now and my cuurrent situation is pretty frightening, yet exciting. Major changes in my day job have my head spinning and my body frantic for a quick fix. But, I “intend” to make this work situation become the opening I’ve been waiting for for the last several years. The time is now. I completely resonate with what you said:
    “It can be very uncomfortable to keep your focus on your intention, while everyone wants you to justify your choices.”
    and
    “You might feel, at first, like you’re stumbling and fumbling – but a steady movement forward helps the process.”
    I’ll be rereading these as I work my new business plan and take those steps to “opening day!”
    Thank you!
    Mary Jo
    Writing Coach & Mentor for young adults

  • Kathleen Krucoff

    You are on target with this one for me Christine! This is exactly where I’m at right now and I am working on it. One thing you identified for me in this post is something I had not realized was happening and that is the ‘slow down period’. It’s always good to understand what is going on during this process. Looking forward to tomorrow night’s tele-course! Thanks!

  • Joy

    Christine,

    Another WONDERFUL post!!!

    Yep….that How is one tricky widget. It must be ego who needs to know it all. I love your words about trusting our intention. I’ll add in Breathing. In time, with our passion and action, plus breathing and being, reinvention begins to unfold, and we glow!

    Blessings,
    Joy

    ps How fun is this?! Since my site went live last night, this is the FIRST time I could type it in on the comment form! Woo hoo!

  • Biz

    First, thanks for the shout out! ::giggle::

    Second, It was almost a year ago when I took the plunge and went and saw you in person at the Uplevel Live event. My life has not slowed down since. The steps that you have empowered me to take, I can never thank you enough for.

    Third, I want to discuss point #2 – Don’t worry about the HOW. Especially the power of the process. Last year I was scared of my own power, and you have helped me step into it this year through Gold, through another round of UYL, and through your belief in me, and my fellow Goldies belief in me. I am in the middle of designing a program that I have been scared to do for almost 4 years. I am designing it on the go because I wanted the opportunity to be everything it could be, and the feedback I am getting while I am writing it, well, I can’t put it into words. Had I not known about the power of taking action steps, the power of imperfection, MY OWN POWER, well, I would still be stuck, scared.

    The true lesson of reinventing yourself is trust. Thank you for helping me find that in myself CK, you have no idea how much I appreciate you for that. Thank you for everything!

    • Joy

      You’re rockin’ it, Biz, and How Fun is This?!!!!

      Congratulations on developing your new program!!

      Blessings,
      Joy