Time to Reinvent Yourself
Time to Reinvent Yourself?
Reinventing Yourself
On my most recent flight across the USA, I was reading a SUCCESS magazine edition on reinventing yourself. It actually made me stop and wonder whether it was time for me to do it again…and some of my clients.
At this point in time, I consider myself a “recovering” CPA. When I look back in time, it is amazing how many times I have actually reinvented myself. When I was growing up, I was fed the recipe of go to school, get good grades, and get a good job. This “job” was to last me my entire lifetime and I was to retire with a good pension and many grandchildren. I started out ok with the school, but it was the “job” thing that messed me up. I started what was seemingly a correct path working for a CPA firm, but after 9 months (enough time to have a baby!), it all went pear shaped. Here is the list of what happened after that:
CPA firm - 9 months
Bookkeeper - 3 months
CPA firm #2 - 2 ½ years
Internal Auditor - VF Corp - 2 ½ years
Financial Analyst - 2 ½ years
Door to door meat sales - 4 months
Craftmatic Bed sales - 6 months
Car salesman - 6 months
Debt Collector - 2 ½ years
Debt Collector #2
Debt Collector #3
Finally opened my tax practice full time
Speaker
Author
Internet Marketer
Coach
The whole transformation spans about 26 years. Each job was a reinvention of not only the type of job, but the direction of my life. In between all of that, I managed to have 3 children and 2 divorces, but who’s counting!
Most people would look at that list and tell me I’ve wasted a lot of time by not “being consistent” with my career. Well, I wouldn’t trade any of it. I would not do anything differently. Each change has had it’s own challenges and challenged me to grow as a person and ultimately has pushed me in the direction of realizing my true potential and purpose in life.
It was not until I was about 40 that I had my first business coach that lead me in the direction of personal development. I discovered behavioral profiles including DISC and the Kolbe Indicator. These profiles have been key in the direction I am going and certain tasks that bring out my strengths.
Where are you at right now? Are you realizing your true potential and purpose? Are you stuck in a dead end job just going through the motions?
Or, you may say to me, I own my own business, so I must be ok. Well, I did too, but I found that it was the wrong type of business for me to “work” in and “work” on. I can do a tax return in my sleep and I am good at it, but my vision is much larger than cranking out tax returns day in and day out.
I have reinvented my business several times over the last few years. What started out as a tax preparation business has grown to an international health, wealth, and happiness company. Each segment of my business can assist anybody in creating the life they desire.
Back to you. I am sure by now that you have run across somebody that has told you to write a list of all the things you want (aka goals) and then draw a plan in order to get them.
Life is more than goals. It is more than acquiring a bunch of “things” and crossing them off your list. My challenge for you is to write down the type of “lifestyle” you desire and then reinvent yourself in order to mold into that lifestyle.
The “reinvention” process is scary for most people. It requires a “letting” go of a good part of what you feel and perceive as comfortable. I remember one of my more radical reinventions I did after listening to an interview with Michael Gerber who wrote “The E-Myth revisited”. What stuck with was he said (and I paraphrase) if you do not like where you are headed, STOP immediately all that you are doing, get out a blank sheet of paper and start over.
That’s what I did. I stopped doing what I was “doing” in my business, let other people do the doing, and started off in the direction of my lifestyle.
What are you doing right now that is not producing what you desire?
How long have you been doing it?
How hard will it be to stop?
Now, I am certainly not saying to you to quit your job and start over…or am I? It is up to you. Only you know how much you want to change.
If you have to reinvent gradually, you are probably like most people and would say you do not have time. Believe me, I have been involved in network marketing for over 20 years and that was the biggest excuse. Let me help you with that with some practical suggestions.
1.) Stop watching TV. What benefit is it anyway?
2.) Replace the TV with a minimum of ½ hour of reading a personal development book.
3.) Hire someone to cut your lawn. This was hard for me, but I could make way more than $50 in the two hours it took me to do it.
4.) Get up one hour earlier each day to work on your business. It is amazing how much you will get done without phones, kids, etc.
5.) Stop eating out for lunch. Pack your lunch and read or connect with people via social media.
6.) Create a reasonable to do list and stick to it. Bunny trails are time wasters.
7.) Answer emails 1 or 2 times per day only. Do not be enslaved by your inbox.
8.) Answer and return phone calls at set times. Once again, being too “available” may be your downfall.
9.) Do not multi task. Do one thing at a time and do it till complete. Focus like a laser beam on the task at hand.
There are many more, but look for an upcoming hub for a complete list.
That is the time factor. How about the “what do I do” factor. Here is a practical list on “a” way (there are many) to find out your purpose:
1.) What are you passionate about - make the list
2.) What would an ideal day, month, and year look like in your life?
3.) How does that compare with what your days look like now?
4.) Go to http://www.kolbe.com and invest $50 to find your strengths.
5.) How can you turn your strengths into your lifestyle
6.) Seek out a coach or mentor that can assist you
Life is too short to not get all you desire and, more importantly, live each day fulfilling your life’s purpose. Have fun, explore, and become the person you were meant to be.
If you desire assistance in reinventing yourself, email me at esuccessnet@yahoo.com
Steve
Resource For You
Pictured above is my book "Money Does Grow On Trees". Reading this book may help you discover the optimum path for your life. You can get the ebook by clicking the buy me below.
