The Been-There-Done-That Guide to Reinventing 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 in my life.

First, when I left the old paradigm of post-college 9-5 cubicle life and became a carefree, creative, touring successful musician. (A process with lots of bumps in the road, I assure you!) And second, when I shifted the music career paradigm into an on-line model – and added my own women’s retreats, coaching programs and started mentoring people to Uplevel their Lives.

And I’m telling you from personal experience, Reinvention is not only possible – it’s imperative to your happiness!

Reinventions are not just external. They often 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, my friends, 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 Unstoppable Power of Intention

Usually, reinvention starts when someone looks around at her life and says, “Wow. This is NOT working. I am SO not happy.” (That’s what happened in both of my situations!)

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. 🙂

When I began transforming my music career into an on-line model that included coaching and mentoring women, I had a MAJOR slow down period when I said NO to the good so I could say YES to the Great.

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!

There aren’t a lot of places in the mainstream world to find encouragement and wisdom when it comes to reinventing yourself. So, 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, here’s a video I made that speaks about this very deep level of transformation! Click the link below to watch it – and then join me for a free coaching call!

14 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • nan

    great article and I agree in spirit with all of it – I’m just stuck in the practicalities – such as eating, roof over head, etc etc.
    Trust is great – but when you step out and have to leave the old behind ( job security) – how do you get survive financially?

    I am 63, I am single, I have not saved money. I am very unhappy and not using my talents in my job – but I do eat and I do have a roof overhead. And yes, I have slowly used “off-work” hours to move forward in another direction – but honestly, that keeps me working all the time – frustrated with no time for a personal life.

    It is the practical that is keeping me stuck.

  • joe griffith

    Hi Chrisitne

    Just found your blog today and really enjoy what you have to share.
    Other people’s personal experiences always get my attention. I think that’s how we learn best…at least I seem too.

    Living Life By Design

    ———

  • Becky Hunter

    Must have missed this article last week… I’ve just been listening to your podcast on coming back from a crisis as I’m still out of school with health issues and getting increasingly frustrated that burn-out doesn’t just go away after a couple of weeks of rest. I also hate to rest! It fills me with self-loathing. The idea of slowing down to speed up, and taking time out to actually unpick things and put them back together differently, is however, a (tiny) bit more appealing.

  • Deb

    Christine: In response to …… “Have you ever said anything like this to yourself? …

    As soon as I can just FIGURE OUT HOW to do this, I’ll be unstoppable!

    Or…

    If I could only FIGURE OUT what I’m supposed to do next, I’ll…

    Here’s a secret I want to share with you:

    There’s nothing to “figure out!”

    If you haven’t done so already, you must watch “KUng Fu Panda”………. based on your last line, I can practically guarantee that you’ll resonate with it!!!

  • Jeanne B

    OH, this is so weird. I’m a Level 2/3 Parelli Natural Horsemanship student. My horse and I were just in a clinic this past weekend, and I kept hearing from the instructor that when the horse isn’t responding the way I’d like him to, slow down. Slow way down, isolate/separate/recombine the actions I’m using to make my request of him. Check each step to see if it’s broken, and if so, fix it. Then speed up. Slow down to speed up is commonly heard in PNH materials! But then, PNH isn’t horse training. It’s “self-development disguised as horse training”. 🙂

    I love how my horsemanship lessons dovetail completely with what I’m learning in my life lessons.

  • Tami Puckett

    FYI – Just watched your Sat. a.m. video with your dog. This is the 2nd video I’ve watched that has been difficult for me to hear. I’ve turned the volume up on my laptop and it improves minimally. Don’t know if it’s something on your end or mine – just thought I’d mention it in case someone else might be experiencing the same problem.

  • Nicole

    Yes, great post! I use #3 all the time- believe it or not, it works with challenging dance choreography! I tell my students who are having trouble keeping up with a fast-paced combo, to breathe and slow down! And it’s never let me (or them) down. =)

  • Christine Kane

    Iris! You SO need to be on my teleseminar next week! This is exactly the kind of thing i’m going to talk about. I hope you can make it!! 🙂

  • Iris

    Alisha, I’m right there at #2 with you. For years I’ve been wanting to make a big change in my career, and I’m at a point where I realize it’s really time. I have nothing to lose now and everything to gain. I just get stuck thinking, “Well, what if… and how do I… and I need to know all the answers before I begin.” I know this won’t get me anywhere and the only way to get the career I want is to make it happen. Christine, I imagine as I move forward with this, I’ll be back here reading your old posts daily for motivation! I chose my word of the year back in January. It was commit. I haven’t thought of it in months, but today I realized how much I’ve committed to already this year, and this career change is just the final commitment I’ve been waiting for. Thank you!

  • Christine Kane

    Alisha – YES! That’s the step that challenges most everyone – especially when you can’t see the shore you left behind OR the shore you’re heading to. That’s when you REALLY hone in on your intention. (Faith is EVERYTHING, girlfriend!)

    Laura – I love hearing that! Congratulations – that’s huge!

  • Laura Mixon, PhD

    Thanks, Christine. I just reviewed my 1st email to you from Great Big Dreams, April 2008. Every single intention (there were 6 biggies) I expressed to you in that message has come to fruition since then. I am grateful. Have a super day!

  • Alisha

    The hardest one for me, a recovering perfectionist, is number 2–the how. I get so preoccupied with trying to figure out how my reinvention/ideas/dreams are going to take place that it’s hard for me to push on to the next step. I guess that’s where a little bit of faith comes in…