By Olga Zavgorodnya
Every day brings a new opportunity to be the person you have always dreamt about. Every moment gives you the possibility to make a step in the direction that will put an equal sign between your fantasy and your reality. The first step is always the most challenging, because it puts a plan into motion towards a goal that might be fraught with fear. Staying focused on the future self that you envision is the next challenge.
Don’t let today’s struggles hold you back from making the steps to the life you want. Rebecca Weber, who holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Columbia University, states that “It’s in our nature, for example, to spend our energy primarily on today’s immediate concerns, to hold a distorted perception of our future, or, even if we’re future-focused, to keep chasing after what turns out to be the wrong dreams.”
Here is a condensed version of some helpful steps to get you on the road to reinventing yourself (modified from Rebecca Weber’s Article in Psychology Today):
- Identify your identity – What are your strengths? Weaknesses? The more you can identify, the better directed you will be toward the modifications you wish to make. If you are lost, begin with asking yourself: “What will I regret not having done?”
- Modify your identity – Once you know what you do not like and wish to modify, begin implementing your plan, one step at time, until you reach your goal. Researchers from the University of Rochester found that people who were passionate about what they did were far less likely to be depressed when compared to those who had very little passion. Additionally, they found that even if someone holds a prestigious title, that title serves little purpose if the prestige isn’t matched by passion.
- Give yourself enough time to complete your goal. You do not want to set yourself up to fail before you even begin, right? Be reasonable with your plan and allow time for yourself to succeed. If you are not thinking realistically here, you are only hurting yourself and your motivation.
- Stay Determined. Goals are not always easy to achieve. You must stay the course, even through all the obstacles and distractions that will inevitably get in your way. Staying determined is easier if you form new habits and create new patterns that meet the standard you expect from yourself. Track your accomplishments for encouragement.
- Celebrate the Small Accomplishments. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small. When your goals start to match up with your values, achieving those goals produces an irreplaceable feeling. It’s one of the healthy highs in life. Nothing beats the feeling of earning something for which you strived hard.
Ultimately, believe in yourself. Channel your passion and use it to achieve your true goals. Give yourself a
chance to at least attempt becoming the person you always wanted to be. You owe yourself that much.
For more Information:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201405/reinvent-yourself?collection=148507