Life Is Once and There’s an Ultimate Version of You, Who Can Only Live if You Can Reinvent Yourself and Start Over.
Life is too short to be stuck in a life you don’t like, so what is your best option? By the end of this article you’ll have the game plan you’ve been looking for!
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Hello Aluxers and we’re glad to have you with us for a very special Sunday Motivational article.
Your ability to live a life you’re proud of depends on your understanding of the present and how it connects with the future.
More often than not, the present you’re living right now will not lead to the future you desire. We’re here to help you fix that by helping you reinvent yourself!
This is why today we’re looking at:
15 Steps to Reinvent Yourself and Start Over
As always, here’s the video version of this article:
With that said, let’s get started!
1
Decide You Want to Change
To reinvent yourself it takes realising the long term effects of the way you’re currently living.
Picture yourself 10 – 15 years into the future following the trajectory your life is going now. Are you happy? Are you fulfilled?
If the image you’re seeing isn’t a pleasant one you should wake up.
Your life will not change unless you change!
This moment right now might be your best option to make a decision to alter your future. But it has to be a DECISION!
Decision is a very special word. Throughout time it evolved from the family tree of INCISION which means to cut something up. That’s quite literally what you do when you Make a decision: you cut your options down.
Too many times people become complacent and their regret builds up with time resulting in them becoming toxic parts of society. Everyone wishes they would’ve done more.. Been more.. But when the time was right to make the change, they postponed for a hypothetical tomorrow that never came.
Insanity is knowing the outcome of an action and still expecting a different result.
If what you’re doing now won’t get you where you need to be, it’s time to wake up and decide if you’re gonna settle for this.. Or give it your all and try to change – and we say give it your all because it will take everything you are now to build who you will become.
2
Make a 6 Month Plan
This is where your attitude shifts from A DESIRE -> A PLAN!
A goal without a plan is just a wish! – and unless you believe in magic genies granting wishes, you’re not gonna get very far.
6 months is more than enough to get you started. Quite literally, 6 months from this very moment you could be a new person.
To simplify it, it’s a 3 step process:
1. Define it
This is where you create a vision for your new life that you will find yourself in when you reinvent yourself.
Who is this person you will become?
What do they do?
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Who do they spend time with?
What does their life look like?
Write your answers down as specifically as you can.
People even print photos of the answers and stick them up on walls and call them VISION Boards. These help you better understand the new reality.
2. Break it down
Figure out what you’re taking with you in your new life and what you’ll leave behind.
This is the very reason most people never get anything done. They don’t break it down into actionable steps.
What do I need to get started?
What is the minimum skill that will get my foot through the door?
How much will it cost for me to move or change?
What tools do I need?
How many interviews will you need to get a new job?
How much money do I need to save up to give myself a shot at settling in?
The questions you ask yourself when you break down your new life will be specific to your situation, so try to attack the issue from every angle. The more prepared you are, the higher the chance of success.
At this point you’re just looking to get the ball rolling. It definitely helps to have a long term plan, but at this stage your focus should be on the immediate steps.
3. Commit money & effort to it
Yep, this is where it gets real. This is where you START INVESTING into your new life.
Looking to move to a new country, you start taking language lessons. YES, pay for that tutor.
Pay for that imigration lawyer.
This is where you buy the plane ticket or pay for the first few months rent in the new life.
To keep the wish metaphor going:
A goal without a deadline is nothing but a wish!
Plant that flag into a specific date in the future, because once you do, it’s a race against the clock to get yourself ready and it will push you to deliver.
Now that you have your plan written down and have planted an achor into the new future, it’s time to get to work!
3
Start Building Your New Skill Set
It will take effort to reinvent yourself.
Effort means you will have to do things that are uncomfortable for you; things that will seem hard, complex, difficult to understand and implement at first.
Building a new skill-set is hard. Accept it and get to work!
This is where you Practice every single day!
You’re doing this because your new life depends on this exact period of time, you need to get yourself in position, in shape, like an athlete getting ready to compete.
Do not be afraid to start slow or feel dumb for starting with the fundamentals.
Embarrassment is the cost of entry!
This is the foundation everything else will be built on so you need to build quickly from the ground up.
We strongly recommend you make a schedule for yourself.
If you have this super strong goal for yourself committing to a schedule will not be as hard as you think, because the outcome will keep you pushing forward when otherwise you would normally quit.
Constantly ask yourself: what if this new thing I’m doing actually works out for me?!
Most people underestimate the results 6 months of focus and discipline can bring into one’s life!
Can’t come up with the right skillset to begin with? Don’t worry, we got you covered. Check out “15 Skills That Will Pay Off Forever.”
4
Make 1 Connection From the New World You’ll Live In
Adjust the plan accordingly.
This is a hack we’ve used to pick up speed quickly: find someone who’s willing to teach you the ropes or if not, find someone who’s doing it and emulate the sh*t out of them. [beep the shit part]
This requires humility and a lot of detective work. Put the same energy you put into stalking your ex into this and you should see results in no time.
If you find someone, Ask this individual to fill in your blanks about what it takes to make the change. They will usually provide highly valuable insights from the ground level and they will – most often than not – even provide guidance and support once you get there. Just don’t be too much of a pain in the behind.
People will gladly give advice or tell you their story!
This is one of those times where external insight could make or break your efforts to reinvent yourself.
Also, do not hesitate to get a second opinion. We are all different by nature, so what is hard for someone could turn out to be easy for you.
5
Understand That the Door Is Open and It Will Remain That Way
This is one of the biggest secrets in life and we want you to pay very close attention to it because it will alter the way you think about life from this point forward.
You’re here because you want to escape the life you’re currently living right? Well.. the secret is THIS IS YOUR DEFAULT LIFE!
As shitty as it is, you can always come back to it if things don’t work out 12-18 months from now… so YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE apart from a few months and a little bit of money.
People are too scared to fail without realising that this current lifestyle is your bottom floor. If you’re smart and willing to put in the effort, your life can only improve.
The door is open to walk out anytime you feel ready and if you don’t like what you find out there you can always walk back in. It might not be the same job, the same rented apartment, but on a large enough scale it won’t make any difference whatsoever.
Time will pass no matter if you make the choice or not!
It is up to you where you find yourself 12 months from now.
If the first 5 elements on this list got your ready and prepared, it’s time to make the change a reality!
6
Move & Survive
We skydived or cliff-jumped numerous times in our life. No matter how much you prepare or pump yourself up before you climb there’s a moment where time dilutes in your life, it’s the one where for a fraction of a second you look beyond the edge.
This is a moment where you will need to recognise resistance!
“Most of us have two lives: the life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance.” – Steven Pressfield
So you look beyond the edge into the unlived life.
That’s where your body goes numb.. Your blood starts flowing and your brain goes into panic mode: Are you really sure you want to do this?
And then you jump!
Then you get out the other way.. You dive, you land, you get up and feel this thrill of excitement like you could take on the world.. But that very moment is when you make the choice to jump and we recommend you jump.
If you know intellectually that this is a good move for you, force your body to follow and commit to the move.
Once you’re there, you main focus becomes survival. For the first few weeks all you do is to survive. Figure out where to live, how to sustain yourself and cover your basics. You’re not looking for comfort and you’re not comparing this new standard of living with your old one.
In the very few weeks it usually sucks, but look at you.. You’re actually doing it! That thing you said for years you’re gonna do, that people said you never will.. You’re doing it. Focus on surviving first. This approach will also work when you will be working to reinvent yourself.
7
Push Through the Feeling of Loneliness and Chaos
Whenever growth happens, the body doesn’t feel right, the same way it does when you’re going to the gym. It hurts.
Your mind does the same thing. It starts to panic, to doubt itself to reconsider all the choices you’ve made because of the state of uncertainty you find yourself in. Your evolutionary genes prioritize survival through complacency over growth; that’s why your gut feeling is telling you to go back to where it was unpleasant but familiar – at least that’s an evil you know.
But in the same way those who ventured in the wilderness found new treasures so will you if you stick with the game plan you’ve made for yourself.
This new place feels lonely because it’s new.
It feels chaotic, because it’s new. You will feel small, because the unknown around you is so vast. At this stage you probably don’t know anybody, but this is normal, you get to know more of the unknown once you begin to settle into your new role.
The feeling of familiarity comes with time as you embrace your new environment so will it embrace you.
This is a crucial phase in your chance schedule. You already took the leap of faith, you’re running this new race that you just started, you can’t quit this early!
8
Start Building New Life Routines
When you’re starting over you need routine in your life to make sense of it all.
If we’re talking about moving to a new geography: Find the coffee shop near you and get your coffee or tea there consistently. Let the barista know you’re new in town and just moved in, people love welcoming others into their bubble.
If you just switched jobs, talk to the people you will most likely see everyday on your route.
If you don’t have connection opportunities through work, these will come naturally as you build other routines: join a gym, a theatre group, a startup incubator, volunteer regularly with an NGO or anything related to your passions. Any regular activity that benefits you or the community should be embraced.
These will ground you and give the new environment purpose + it’s a great way to make friends. These are some powerful ways to reinvent yourself.
By the way, for those of you who are thinking we’re only talking about physical relocation, that is not the case. Every time you re-invent yourself, by shifting careers, shifting lifestyles or making any type of change, this step by step process will remain the same.
At this point you’re already beyond the stage of survival, you’re actively building purpose and making this your new home.
9
Find Your First Anchor of Happiness – Then Build Around It
Give it enough time and effort, and something will eventually click.
You will meet someone you’re interested in romantically, your new business will take off, you will get a promotion or make a great friend.
This event is your first anchor into the new lifestyle. It officially means that you’re here to stay because you’re thriving in the new environment.
Because of this early success other bubbles will open up. The partner will introduce you to their friends, the startup will get new exciting investors on board, the promotion will come with extensive benefits and so on.
Suddenly, your new life begins to make so much sense and you’re experiencing a feeling of euphoria. Everything you wanted is actually happening and now you look back on the decision to venture out as the best thing you’ve done in your life.
This first anchor validates your ability to thrive and you’re ready to call this your new home.
10
Set Big Goals for Your New Life
You didn’t put all this effort into your evolution to just settle for “just a bit better”.
If this is already rolling in your favor you might as well swing for the fences.
When you’re working to reinvent yourself, this is the part where you go from: Will this work to.. -> How big can I get it to be?
You begin by setting the right goals for yourself.
Maybe you were working in a company that you don’t like and decided to give it a shot as a freelancer. What if you could only work 6 months per year and make enough money to travel the world the other 6? That’s an amazing goal to have right?
Or maybe you’ve just published your first book and made you some money. What if your next book sold 100 times the first one and you’ll end up making a living as a writer and you can quit your job? Another amazing goal to have.
Most people look to reinvent themselves because they’re not happy with their initial reality.
Some of these are too scared to try and settle for misery and some have to try a couple of times until they figure out what they actually want.
But those who do make the jump never look back on their decision.
You know..
If you’re gonna dream anyway.. Might as well dream big!
Not only you’re reinventing yourself, but what if this new life gave you a shot at having everything you’ve ever wanted from life… in the words of Marshall Matters, would you capture it? Or let it slip?
Setting the right goals and strategically planning for success is one of those things that fascinated us throughout time and through trial and error we have perfected a way to set and achieve goals. Everything we learned in the last 10 years is being edited into a premium product that is coming in the next couple of weeks called GOAL Mastery.
A single click in your life can set up a domino effect that changes your life completely and that’s what Goal Mastery is, that specific edge that makes the difference. The waiting list is available at alux.com/goals
We can’t wait for you to put it into practice and see what kind of improvements you get in the process of reinventing yourself.
11
Build Your Social Circle
With your life already picking up momentum and big goals on the horizon it’s time to add some spice to it. It’s just what you need to reinvent yourself without getting bored.
Friends make everything better and the right ones can transform any experience into a positive one. They’re your safetynet, they open doors for you, they take you out of your comfort zone and round you up as a human being.
Your life is boring because you have boring friends!
The thing is, if you want to have cool friends, you should become cool yourself and in the process you will make those friends.
Engage with different individuals, different points of view, different cultures, learn about people, go to events.
(Please be responsible and listen to medical advice regarding Covid-19. We all want this to be over soon and you can help stop the spread of the virus by wearing a mask).
Use the 24h rule:
If you meet someone at a social event, follow up with them in the next 24h.
This allows you to keep the momentum going.
12
Pay Attention to Not Repeat the Patterns of the Previous Life
One of the biggest mistakes most people make is to simply change location without changing behavior. That’s not how you reinvent yourself but it’s how you relocate yourself.
If everyone you meet is an a-hole, there are 2 options: you’re probably the a-hole or you’re in the wrong place!
Here’s the thing: if you change places and everyone is still an a-hole, that leave only one option left.
You can’t expect the way you interpret life to change just because you changed the environment. You are still you!
The process of reinventing oneself implies a shift in behavior or the lens through which you process the world.
It’s easy to fall back onto the same habits that made you miserable in the first place, so whenever you do it, rise a red flag and remember why you left the old you behind.
13
Prove to Yourself That You Can Live off This New Lifestyle Long Term
This is where you find comfort, the new reality becomes your long-term reality, this is who you are now.
By this point you have a system in place that is sustainable and predictable, but this time it isn’t making you lose your mind with regret.
Time goes by and your life flourishes because of it. In other words: It just feels right when you set out to reinvent yourself.
Now all you have to do is set everything up in place so that you can do this for the foreseeable future.
A special thing happens at this point: the return is increasing because you enjoy doing it more!
You’re more productive editing videos or writing your books, or painting your paintings, or running your business than you were in your past reality. This additional input exponentially impacts the results.
It might not seem like much early on when you’re struggling, but once you cross a certain sustainability threshold, things begin to accelerate.
This sustainability threshold is the key to unlocking this new lifestyle. Our first goal when we were at the beginning was to make enough money from our digital publication so we don’t have to get a job. Then it became to support our family and the families of the people who worked for us. Since then things have snowballed into this incredible enterprise which we’re once again on the brisk of re-inventing. Take this as a small teaser, but we have something big planned ahead.
14
Incrementally Improve Elements Around You
With the reinvention process completed, it’s time to upgrade the things that allow for upgrades.
Slowly start making your life better one sector at a time. Improve the quality of your relations, improve the quality of the food you eat, improve the comfort of your home, improve the ideas you expose yourself to and because of this newer and better versions of you come to fruition.
If the old you was version 1.0 and the reinvented one is 2.0, think of these small incremental improvements as 2.1, 2.2 and so on.
We as humans were not designed to be stagnant. You were not born to work yourself to death in order to pay bills, have children who will do the same and then die off.
We are excited about creating the future, putting people on other planets, connecting the world through technology, curing diseases and creating new foods. It’s in our DNA to perpetually improve.
15
Achieve the New Version of Success
The last item on our list of 15 steps to reinvent yourself and start over goes beyond what you initially set out to do. You see, when you began this journey you had a vague idea of who you wanted to become – the version 2.0 we mentioned earlier. But in the middle of all this you learned more about yourself, you developed, evolved and now that 2.0 has suffered some changes.
The new complex being you are today has different expectations based on what the 2.0 reality was like. Through small iterations and opening up to more inputs you are ready for a new mature phase.
That’s where 3.0 You comes into play. Everything you experience grows and evolves with you. Your values, your beliefs change until you eventually find peace.
This is the real success you were looking for in the first place but couldn’t put your finger on it.
This entire process is designed as a two part system. In the first half you’re moving away from what is causing you discomfort or pain and in the second half you’re entering a new role and then maturing in it.
At the very end of this constant iteration there will come a moment when you will not have other desires and that is when you will find peace.
We genuinely hope that this guide will end up in front of the right people and helps them shift their existence.
This year will be one of personal reconstruction, but nobody asked you to rebuild the same thing as before. Build something new and exciting Aluxers!
Question:
If you could reinvent yourself today, what would you like to be or do in life? We’re super excited to hear from you in the comments!
