Words to the Wise is a new feature for The Greenville Blog that shares the works of Karin Freeland, a certified Life Reinvention Coach focused on helping women transform their lives and achieve their dreams by using the lessons she learned in her 15 years in the corporate sector. Award-winning author of “Grab Life by the Dreams “and podcast host of “Rock Your Reinvention,” learn more about her and her company Karin Freeland Coaching & Consulting, LLC at www.karinfreeland.com.
Everywhere we look change abounds us. Elevated levels of chaos often lead individuals to seek stability, certainty, and security. However, that mindset and approach generally leads to living a life that can be described, at best, as status quo.
So, what can we do about this conundrum? What’s the alternative to being on the receiving end of seemingly endless change and resisting it with all your might?
Actively invite it into your life. Become a change maker. Shift your mindset. Transform an area of your life for the better.
Enter the reinvention.
Before we go any further, let’s talk about what a reinvention is and what one isn’t.
While the dictionary refers to reinvention as the action or process through which something is changed so much that it appears to be completely new, I tend to think of it as a more subtle, but important, modification. It doesn’t have to entail blowing up entire areas of your life, so you can breathe a sigh of relief now. A better way to approach a reinvention is to be intentional and paced about it. This will look different for each person, because we all have different levels of risk tolerance. You may want to reinvent your job. Your relationship. Your finances. Your parenting style. There’s no end to the things you could reinvent.
A reinvention doesn’t happen overnight – no quick fixes here. It’s not the addition of a positive habit or two for a short period of time. While that can be beneficial in helping you achieve your goals, it can also be a short-term bandage for the real problem. A reinvention is deeper than that, more transformational. A reinvention is a re-calibration and realigning with your core being.
How do you know what areas of your life to reinvent? I suggest taking some time for reflection. Journaling is a great way to capture your thoughts. Consider some of the main pain points in your life – those inner thoughts that keep you awake at night. Those are good places to start. Unless you’re a pop star with declining sales, I’m not suggesting reinventing for the sake of reinventing. A life reinvention will serve you best when it’s coming from an intentional place with the goal of improving an area of your life that is lacking.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in exploring further, but still aren’t sure why you should reinvent, let’s discuss the benefits.
Job Satisfaction: For starters, when you reinvent a specific area of your life, such as your career, you can experience greater career satisfaction. According to a 2022 Forbes survey, 45% of American workers said they hated their jobs so much that they wouldn’t wish it on their worst enemy. Just imagine how much happier they’d be if they reinvented their career and chose a field that brought them more meaning and purpose in their life? Now ask yourself, what field would you be more interested in? What industry or function would allow you to use your strengths and also grow your skillset? Perhaps exploring a new career is exactly what you need in 2024.
Improved Confidence: When you begin to reinvent your life, you’ll learn new skills, overcome challenges, and increase your resilience. Navigating change equips you to deal unexpected pivots down the road. Once you’ve handle a few changes, you’re more adaptable and confident approaching new ones (whether you initiated them or not). So, if you’re looking to grow your confidence in 2024, a reinvention is a helpful tool.
Live More Authentically: Perhaps the biggest benefit that you’ll ever experience in a reinvention is the freedom to be you – the real YOU! The you that lives behind that mask of societal pressures and all the “shoulds” you’ve been listening to your whole life. When you start to live in closer alignment with your values and your unique purpose, your whole world opens up. It’s exhausting keeping up a façade. When you make the necessary changes to become your true self on the inside and out, you’ll finally enjoy life in a way that words can’t describe.
I hope this has enticed you to employ a reinvention in your life. I’ve personally experienced the benefits, as have my coaching clients. Lean into change. Invite the temporary discomfort with enthusiasm. Embrace and enjoy the reinvention. Thank me later.
