By Kris James

Happy Wednesday stylers! Before I continue I just wanna thank all my readers because we made one year! Happy birthday to us. While the world is at a standstill this is the time to think positively. The idea is to come out of this situation better than ever. Use this time to focus on the things that matter the most to us: our career, kids, family and most importantly ourselves. Change means reinvention. Each time a major shift happens in our lives from leaving a job or a relationship, moving, or losing a loved one we have to choose who we want to become to reach our full potential. Reinvention is a big word for a reason. Here’s the full meaning: “The action or process through which something is changed so much that it appears to be entirely new.” I’ve reinvented myself a few times in my life. Most adults have. It’s a sign of growth.

I didn’t reinvent myself overnight, or in 30 days, or even in a year. Hell, I’m a work in progress but one thing I have learned is that we have to choose reinvention. This entire process is an opportunity. It’s not something to be afraid of or put to the side. It’s a chance to be that person you never thought you would be, somebody to be proud of.

Last year I embarked on my own journey. I set a few small goals like losing weight, starting my column, elevating my style, and hosting more events. These are just some small things I felt would make a difference. I was still feeling unfulfilled, but why? One night I woke up and realized that I was having so much trouble moving forward partly because I had no idea what it was that I wanted to move toward. I was thinking about my past, but not what I wanted my future to be. It’s not about how long it takes to reinvent yourself that matters, it’s the why. Knowing why you want to reinvent yourself will help the process and stop you from giving up. How long it takes is entirely on you.

The journey of reinvention starts now. These are steps I’ve identified to reinvent yourself.

Be prepared to start again. As you look back on the events and experiences from your life, you’ll start to see life from the rearview mirror. Knowing where you’ve been can provide some insight into where you might want to go. You want to be somebody different, but who are you right now? That’s a question you should ask yourself when it comes to reflection. If you want the life you’ve never had, you’ve got to trade the one you currently have in for an upgrade.

Create a vision for your future. Sit quietly, with your eyes closed, and imagine the people, places, or situations that you need to leave behind. Now, imagine the future that you want, it can be simply a feeling, new people in your life, or a situation such as a wonderful new job or career.

Write about your reinvention. Documenting your own process gives you a point of reference that shows where you started and where to go. Make the future come alive. Write about how it will feel to be there, create lists and plans. This can be useful for you and it could be useful to somebody else if you share it.

Now that you have a vision of your future, break it up into realistic tasks. What do you need to do every day to create that vision? Should I Look for work, meet new people, or search for a place to live in your dream town. Be specific. Make a list of everything you need to do and a schedule for when you’ll do it. Then do it and commit to doing it, one day at a time.

Every day, go to that vision of you walking toward your future. Either morning or evening, close your eyes and see yourself walking into the rising sun, toward your dreams, and reconnect with why you’re moving toward this new opportunities. Reinvention is never easy or smooth. Most times we find resistance, we don’t want to let go, even of those that cause us pain. Each time you find yourself slipping into old habits ask yourself.“What can I do at this moment to keep moving forward?”