Reflection, reinvention, reset...it's time!

Think about it…just a year ago, you were thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, and perhaps how soon you might break them. If you have kids, they were in school; if you have older parents, perhaps they were in good health. You might have made vacation plans for Spring Break, the summer, Labor Day Weekend, and the holiday season.

If you were employed, you were probably working on-site in an office, maybe 5 days a week, and if you were lucky, you were able to work remotely at least a few days a week, if not full-time. Life was fairly routine and included social gatherings, movies or theater, sporting events, parent-teacher meetings, and for some of us, perhaps extensive business travel. What a difference a pandemic can make! Now is the time to reflect, reinvent, and reset for a bright future and a bit of balance.

Why are you here today? Are you over the hill like Charles Schultz, picking up speed, or growing wiser and more careful like Hemingway? Have you been in your present position for a year, two years, or more? Are you in a dead-end position that seems to lack a future? Do you hate your boss, or are you the boss? And in today’s environment, we ask, “Are you out of work?”

Is it time for you to reinvent yourself? 

I have done it several times. Growing up with parents who told me to learn to type because I would never amount to anything, I was challenged at an early age to be the best of the best. As the middle of five kids, I did not have “Middle Child Syndrome,” but I did have “Caught in the Middle Syndrome.” And it was not fun! So, I started at an early age to identify ways in which I could better myself, learn, and do more, achieve great heights, and then start all over again.

As a nurse, I often worked harder and smarter than many of my classmates, and I was a good student…although an impatient one. I was always in anticipation of the next step…the next part of the obstacle course…the next challenge. As I think back, I realize that part of my wish to reinvent myself stemmed from a lack of self-esteem and an awareness that others were brighter, kinder and that they came from what seemed to be (at least on the outside) loving families. So, I needed a new look, a new role, a new career—an opportunity to shine beyond my wildest dreams. And I worked hard at it.

People transform themselves for different reasons. For some, it’s the sudden realization that they’re not happy or fulfilled. This is what’s commonly called a “mid-life crisis.” The reinventors, on the other hand, prefer the term “finding themselves,” particularly when they’re not in the mood to admit that they’re flat out bored and need a change. Some of you may have kids who are still finding themselves; you may be that inner child yourself.

Some of my colleagues have chosen “preferment.” Preferment is the ability to select those with whom you want to work and the projects you’d like to complete.

How about you—do you want to change, or do you have to change? Are you willing to challenge yourself to get what you want? Are you ready for a better version of yourself?

Think of your own reinvention and what it might look like. Narrow your wish list down to the top three reinvention choices; they will be fluid and subject to change.

• Act towards them and watch what happens.
• Reinvention is about a decision, a commitment, and action steps in support of that decision.
• Make the decision yours and yours alone!

 “Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.” - Emily Dickinson

About Sharon...Sharon M. Weinstein is the "stressbuster." A renowned author, Certified Speaking Professional, and coach/consultant, she is the author of the newly released, Are You Ready to Reinvent Yourself? A Post-pandemic approach to work/life balance.