“No great story starts while staying in the same place.”

By the time us ladies hit midlife, we have likely reinvented ourselves more than once, in one way or another.  

My first big reinvention happened in my early 30’s.  We had just brought in a new year (2004), and it was bone-chillingly cold out (-30°C).  I packed up my two kids, two dogs, cat, and whatever fit in the U-Haul and closed the door on the life I had lived for 14 years.  I was headed back home. 

I met my kids’ dad when I was 18, and quickly found myself pregnant.  Over the years, his alcoholism turned into drug addiction.   Yes, I stayed for far too long, but at the time, I truly believed I didn’t have what it took to leave. 

So packing up and getting the hell out of there was the scariest shit I had ever done, but it was something I desperately needed to do. 

Just like that, I was a single mother without a dime to my name.  It was a rough road; I made a lot of mistakes, but I survived.  And I learned something important, we all have the strength inside of us, but sometimes we don’t know it’s there until we do the scary thing.

Fast forward to a few years ago, when I was approaching 50.  I was no longer happy in the relationship I was in; life just took us down different paths that no longer aligned. I found myself single for the first time in my life — yup, I jumped from one relationship to another to another. 

I don’t know about you, but a switch was flipped inside me when I was on the cusp of that half-century mark. 

I wasn’t happy with a few things in my life, and I just knew that all of these things I was feeling were signs telling me that now was the time for my next big reinvention.

I am still on that journey today, but even though it comes with a lot of uncertainty and a lot of changes — the most noteworthy is stepping into a caregiver role — I know that I got this and no matter what, I won’t stop until I have the life I deserve.  The life I want.  The life I was meant to have.

What Does It Mean To Reinvent Yourself

Reinventing yourself means that you have reached a point where you’re ready for change.  You feel that you need to make changes or improvements to one or more areas of your life.  That could be a career change, a personal life change, a mindset shift, or adjusting to new circumstances — whether they were by choice or not.  

Reinvention means making intentional changes in your life so you can feel more aligned with who you are, who you want to be, and what you really want.  

It’s about seizing new opportunities that are in alignment with your passions, goals, and values.

This can and will happen throughout the course of your life.  That is okay.  That is what is supposed to happen.

Is It Possible To Reinvent Yourself?

It is absolutely not only possible but necessary to reinvent yourself at some point.  As the years pass by, you change.  You aren’t the same person you were at 18 when you’re 30, and you aren’t the same person you were at 30 when you’re 50 (hallelujah for that). You’ve always been reinventing yourself in some ways over the years.  

But, reinventing yourself isn’t a one-and-done thing; it’s an ongoing process, you will be growing and adapting, until you take your last breath.

Is It Hard To Reinvent Yourself?

Sure, it’s hard to reinvent yourself.  Nobody ever said that change was easy. 

But here’s the thing: everyone has different life situations.  Your reinvention isn’t going to look the same as someone else’s.  Some changes are small, some are big. What works for one isn’t going to work for someone else.  The difficulty level will change as well, depending on where you are currently and what your life change looks like.

One thing I have learned is that even when the change is extremely hard, when it’s all said and done, you come out of it being a better person than you were going in.  

But it doesn’t always feel like that right away, because let’s face it, some changes you’re faced with you might not have asked for, or even wanted.  A divorce you didn’t see coming, getting fired, a loss you never expected or one you wouldn’t have chosen.  

Reinvention doesn’t happen overnight.  It could take years of working on yourself before you can see the beauty that slowly comes to light.

Why Reinvent Yourself

Sometimes you reinvent yourself because life circumstances have left you no choice, and sometimes you start the process when you’re ready for your transformation to take place. Nothing has flipped your life upside down; you’re just ready for something new.

Maybe you’ve reached a time in your life where you want a new look, a new hobby, to start exercising, or to care about your health.

Maybe you were forced into it.  A health crisis, a divorce or widowhood, caring for an aging parent, or finding yourself with an empty nest.

Maybe you just feel the need for a change — you feel drawn to do something greater, find your purpose, or quit that job you hate.

There are many reasons why you might choose to reinvent yourself, and they can all feel overwhelming.  But they are also rewarding as hell.  They light a fire in you. And that makes it worth it.

The ‘why’ isn’t always the important thing.  What is important is to be intentional in the choices you make.

If this is how you’ve been feeling, girl, it’s time to pay attention.

Reinventing Yourself After 50

First up, know this: You can do it.  

Many women wonder if it’s still possible to reinvent yourself after 50, but midlife is actually one of the best times to start.

You have years of living behind you.  You’re not 20 anymore; you know so much more now than you did back then.

When I hit 50, thoughts of reinventing myself showed up differently than in my younger years.  Life experiences have brought insight and wisdom.  I know who I am and what I want my life to look like.  I am not trying to reinvent myself to get ahead in life.  I am chasing my purpose. 

4 Signs You Need To Reinvent Yourself

Let’s be honest, midlife comes with a slew of changes.  It’s a time of reflection and reassessment.

It’s common to feel dissatisfied with some areas in your life, and all that means is that something no longer fits, and that’s perfectly normal. 

Have you found yourself asking:

“Is this all there is?”

“I worked my ass off all these years, shouldn’t I be happier?”

“Is there more out there for me?”

“This isn’t the life I imagined. What do I do now?”

These questions, or some variation of them, may indicate that something in your life is off.

Here are a few signs to help you decide if some part of your life needs a reinvention:

1. You no longer feel like you’re aligned with your values.  As the years went by, did you settle for the life you had and then realize one day that the life you built isn’t actually aligned with what you actually want? With who you actually are?
2. You feel burnt out.  Does your job take more energy from you than it used to? Are there some relationships that take more and give back less?  If you’re feeling like something in your life is draining your energy, then it might be time to make some changes.
3. Your gut is telling you that something is off or missing in your life.  If you feel like you were meant for something more than what you have, listen to it.  That doesn’t mean you need to blow up your entire life; it just means you need to pay attention and re-evaluate your options and your life.
4. You no longer feel like you’re growing.  Your life feels stagnant. Growth happens in different ways throughout our lives.  When you graduate high school and embark on your adult life, when you start a new job, or when you face a big life challenge, these are times when you see and feel a lot of growth in your life. If you feel bored, unchallenged, or disinterested in some area of your life, that’s a sign that you’re ready for a change. 

How To Reinvent Yourself

Reinventing yourself is about continuous movement towards the life you want to have.  It’s about not staying stuck in a life you don’t want. 

It’s not about taking big leaps and making risky moves; it’s about small steps that move towards what you want.

Ask yourself these questions:

What lights you up? 

What limiting beliefs do you need to shut down?

What kind of influence do you want to have in the world or in your circle?

The key is to start where you are right now and with what you have in this moment.  

Move forward from there to where you want to be.

Let’s go over some simple ways to reinvent yourself without blowing up your entire life.

6 Steps To Get Started

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act.  The rest is merely tenacity.”  — Amelia Earhart

1. Admit that something needs to change and that you’re ready for it — even when you think you’re not.  Sometimes this is the hardest part about getting started.
2. Don’t let fear hold you back.  This is another tough one.  Embrace the fear, walk through it.  You will come out on the other side and be glad you did it.  It’s natural to feel scared when thinking about making changes — big or small.  It’s fear of the unknown that holds us back.  Change can also come with big learning curves, and that’s not a bad thing, because with change comes growth. Take the step.
3. Never stop learning. If you want a career change, educate yourself about what that would look like. Take a course, take up a new hobby, learn a new skill.  Whatever it is that sparks your interest, soak up the knowledge around it.
4. Start small.  What’s your end goal?  Do you want to move to a new city? Start exercising?  Do you want to stop dragging your heels and do what you feel in your bones you were meant to do?  Whatever it is, just start small. Take baby steps towards getting there, wherever you’re headed. Celebrate yourself with every tiny step you take towards reaching your goal.
5. Be ready to pivot.  Not everything goes as planned.  You might need to adjust your plan along the way.  Take some time to reflect on your progress.  What’s working?  What isn’t? Change course when needed.  Be flexible.  Growth and change aren’t usually linear.  
6. Give yourself a big ‘Hell yeah, girl!’  Change isn’t easy.  It takes courage.  So, as you open the page to write your next chapter, throw yourself a party along the way.  You’re doing it!  You’ve walked through the fear and uncertainty, you’ve dodged the curveballs, you’ve shut down the whispers that you weren’t good enough.  You have carried on, despite the setbacks that may have come along the way. 

How Long Does It Take To Reinvent Yourself

There are no hard and fast rules here.  

The answer is it depends:

It depends on how big the change is.

It depends on how much time you put in.

It depends on where you’re at and where you’re headed.

The thing to remember is that the length of time doesn’t matter.  What matters is that you’re doing the work and moving forward.

10 Questions To Ask Yourself

If you’re having trouble getting started, start by thinking about these questions:

1. What does a great day look like?
2. When do I feel most like me?
3. What are my core values? 
4. What am I actively avoiding or scared shitless of facing?
5. What sucks the energy from me?
6. Am I making time for self-care? 
7. What is a trait that I love to see in others that I would like to have?
8. What have I come to realize about myself over the years?
9. Who am I when no one is watching?
10. What matters most to me?

If these sparked interest and curiosity for you, maybe self-discovery feels like your starting point.

It’s Never Too Late To Reinvent Yourself

One thing you need to be clear on:  You’re never ‘too old’ to reinvent yourself.  In fact, midlife is the perfect time to get clear on what is working and what isn’t. 

Don’t get sucked in when that voice whispers in your ear, “It’s too late.”  It’s a lie.  

Life is full of change; you have been doing it your whole life in one way or another.  Reaching a certain age doesn’t mean that you’re no longer deserving of the life you want. 

Your best days aren’t behind you — they’re in front of you.

Midlife is the time to look back on the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

The wins and the losses.  

Your past is a huge part of who you are; embrace it. Your life lessons have given you strengths, values, skills and perspectives that are going to help you figure out what your next move is.  

Before I Go

Living the life that you want.

Being the person you want to be.

Overcoming forced reinvention.

None of that is out of your reach. 

You just need to decide that today is the day that you’re going to take action, even if it’s just a small moment of self-care.  

How big the change is isn’t the important thing here.  

It’s knowing that you’re getting the ball rolling.

Even if you don’t know it yet, you do have the strength to live your most kickass life.

Reinventing yourself doesn’t mean that you leave your past behind.  Your past will always be a part of you; it helped shape you into the person you are today.  Reinvention is about breathing new life into the person you are and the person you want to be.

But only you know when the time has come to spread your wings and fly.

“You’re not what broke you.  You’re what walked through the fire and survived.”

Drop a comment and let me know how you’re reinventing yourself in this kickass season of midlife. I want to hear about it!

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