When is the best time to reinvent yourself?
“Just as your iPhone, iPad, and other gadgets need updates, so do you.”
I was on my way to work this past Wednesday morning and I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts called Entrepreneur on Fire by John Lee Dumas. His guest for that episode was former actor turned motivational speaker Michael Port and I was really glued to this episode because of the things I learned during the interview.
One of the things Michael mentioned that really struck me was when he touched on the subject of reinventing ourselves. He said that he was not a very patient man and that he always looked to find happiness and contentment in everything he does that he have had multiple versions of himself. He was an actor during the 90’s and he also experienced working for corporate until he found his calling in being a public speaker.
John Lee Dumas himself, who hosted the program, underwent several transformations before becoming a famous podcaster. He used to be in the military before Entrepreneur on Fire was born.
I was drawn so much to this episode because I’ve undergone a couple of transformation myself. Apart from working corporate, I used to be into graphic design too. I even taught graphic design subjects for a while and I still love it even up to this point, but ever since I rediscovered my love for writing, it just had to take a backseat.
Always look to improve yourself
Before I got into blogging, I used to think that I was destined to be an employee for the rest of my life. I may have side gigs like teaching and video-editing but my bread and butter would always be that of being an employee, a manager, a leader. It took a big failure for me to realize that there’s so much more to me than I thought I had and this was when I rediscovered my love for writing.
Blogging lit a fire inside me and I told myself that “this is what I want.” I want to write for an audience and help solve their problems through my writing so I started reading and researching about it and on February of this year, I started this blog.
Self-improvement should always be on the top of our lists. Educate yourself with all the available resources you have around you. Use the internet and take up online courses. Attend seminars or workshops that cater to your interests. Information has never been this accessible so take advantage of the benefits technology has to offer.
Be good at something and focus
Being an expert on something, an authority figure if I may say so, is better than being a “jack of all trades”. Focus on one thing and be good at it and prioritize quality over quantity. You’ll be putting yourself in a better position for success being great at one thing than dividing your efforts among multiple projects.
There’s a reason doctors specialize on a specific field of study. The same reason specialists are trusted more than general practitioners.
If something’s not working, do something about it
If you find yourself always complaining about your job, not being promoted, and not getting along with your boss, maybe it’s time for a change. Why will you opt to stay in that job and be miserable when you have the option to move to another company?
I know it’s not easy to quit especially if you have a family to feed but in my opinion, no one has the right to complain incessantly if he or she is not doing anything to make their situation better. If your job is that bad, start updating your resume, market yourself by sending out applications to other companies. If your business is not making money, get to the root of the problem and find ways to earn profit.
Stay hungry
Don’t be content at being good. Better shouldn’t be enough either. Look to be the best at what you do. Reinvent yourself not only when things are not working out but also when things are going well and there’s room for potential.
Ever wonder how millionaires acquire so much wealth? It’s because of their hunger. Being successful in one of their ventures isn’t enough because once they’ve achieved this, they go ahead and work on their other business ventures to make it equally successful.
If you’ve been promoted to manager, don’t stop there. Work harder and set your sight on the higher positions.
Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. You are not a finished product. No, not by far. We are all a work in progress so stay hungry and always look to improve because it’s never too late to learn new things.
How many versions of yourself are there? What motivated you to reinvent yourself?
Originally published at lifeshowyouliveit.com on November 28, 2014.
Originally published at medium.com