When you remember that we only live once, perspective becomes very clear. Sometimes, we let small grudges or fear of change control our lives and hold us back from what we’re truly capable of doing. When you fully realize that life is short and fleeting, it’s easy to let go of negative feelings and simply be the person you want to be. It’s with this mantra that you have the ability to make an alteration in your life – be it mental or physical – and throw off the shackles of judgment from the outside world.
Why can’t we be whatever we want, when we want? In most cases, it’s only yourself holding you back, and once you get your head around that fact, the sky is the limit. But what does reinventing yourself really mean? In essence, it’s a renovation, a reawakening, or simply the opportunity to revitalize yourself. Is it always a complete overhaul? Not necessarily. This is merely a time when you can adjust something in your life in order to make yourself happier. After all, isn’t life about being happy and doing whatever you can to achieve that? We think so, which is why it’s time to discuss reinvention in more detail.
Less planning, more action
Some people say that a good plan is vital if you want to succeed in life. You must write down your goals and how you will achieve them and then cross these out one by one. We say… scrap that. A plan is nothing without the action. A plan exists on paper but doesn’t get out there in the physical world. How about instead of planning, you just do it right away? Be spontaneous. Want to try a yoga course? Then search online for a good one near you and turn up. Always wanted to dye your hair a new color? Black hair, perhaps? Learn how to do it at home and get it over with. Planning often seems great at first, but then you might second-guess yourself, get cold feet, and nothing comes of it. Live your life impulsively and without regret.
More time in the real world
Five years from now, will you ever sit back and think: “Wow, that night I flicked through YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and then back to YouTube was one of the most memorable of my life.” Unlikely. We’re all for relaxation and chilling with some videos or catching up with friends and family online, but when that becomes your evening and makes you feel sad or experience FOMO (fear of missing out), then it’s time for reinvention. When you start decreasing your time on social media, or even cut it out completely, you’ll simply have the chance for more time to experience real life and conjure actual memories.
No one is saying you have to party on the dance floor 24/7 to feel like you’re making the most out of life, but what we’re suggesting is do things that give you something meaningful in return. Whether it makes you laugh, cry, or think, do something that will give you an emotion and, if nothing else, something to talk about with others. Funnily enough, this brings us to our next point.
Try new things and keep up the old
When life becomes predictable, it gets boring. As we get older, many of us are happy enough in our bubbles and hate the idea of venturing outside that safe zone. We feel like we know enough people, tried enough things, and seen enough places to know the world. But the truth is… you haven’t experienced anywhere close to what you think you have. As humans, we never stop learning or expanding our minds, and the moment we believe that we’re “good enough,” then we fall into the bad habits that we later regret. So try that carpentry class you saw online, take part in that pub quiz you continuously think about going to, or even buy that video game console or electric guitar because you always wanted one. Use something like meetup.com to try new things and find new people.
What’s also important is to do things that made you happy in the past. It’s possible you took a break from things because of time constraints, which is fine, but you shouldn’t let them slip away completely. Reignite that monthly cheese and wine night you had with your besties, that weekly volleyball match, or that relaxing walk in your favorite park. Whatever it might be, we need to keep doing things that bring us a smile.
