Are your business goals and values still relevant in today’s market?
Is your personal standing aligned with your business?
Would you accept it if your company plateaued?
If you answered no to any of the questions, you are not alone. To maintain your competitive edge and remain relevant, you must evolve and adapt to the continually changing market conditions, and every now and then, this calls for a radical reinvention, no different than how Netflix stopped posting physical DVDs to your home and began streaming instead.
Major business and life decisions can be daunting, with an uncertainty associated with it, maybe even a little excitement, or possibly anticipation, but it can be an incredibly rewarding change, improving the odds for your business’s success… it is also much easier than you may think.
Where to begin
Many individuals have successfully identified their goals, but fear prevents them from change, so they settle down into their comfort zone and remain content.
Well, it is your motive and drive which are the fundamental keys in overcoming this hurdle in reinventing yourself. Be specific about your goals, then your motive will support and guide you, continually reassuring you on your journey, whilst your drive will be the force transporting you towards your goal. If you have the motive and drive, there is no stopping you, just remember, reinventing yourself involves realigning, not recreating, so never lose sight of your unique identity or overwrite the persona which makes you, you!
The 5 steps…
1) Truly acknowledge yourself, to understand who you need to become
As mentioned, reinventing yourself includes migrating your characteristics, so identify which aspects and values you want and need to carry over, because these frequently change over time, from habits to mindset, appearance to personality. The new vision of yourself will be the projection of your brand seen by your audience, so make it a powerful one, containing all your strengths, without forgetting to highlight your uniquely identifiable trait.
2) Take risks
The whole point of reinventing yourself is to try something new and different, so step out of your comfort zone so you are forced to experiment, be spontaneous, just make sure to enjoy it. It could be something basic such as redesigning your logo, starting a podcast or blog, or it may be more drastic such as targeting a completely new audience. Embrace the excitement of risk, it can itself be a stimulator to go bigger.
3) Surround yourself with ‘real’ people, not yes-men
Develop yourself by interacting with those who impart a positive influence on you and your business, who selflessly raise you higher, but who can also become your safety net if required. These individuals may be a mentor, or previous colleague, or simply loved ones who wish for your success.
While a support network can be a comfort in your transition, you must be aware of ‘yes’ men and women, whose encouragement may actually harm your success, by misleading your journey milestones.
4) Never stop learning your trade
Continue to educate yourself at every opportunity, every day if possible. Absorb knowledge however possible, through courses, industry leaders, innovationists, and role-models, learning new habits to overwrite the ineffective ones.
This is also an opportunity to develop your knowledge within your field, but also to expand your reach wider and grow your business into related sectors. The primary outcome is to apply your knowledge to benefit your customers, to offer greater service and quality.
5) Seek tailored advice from a career or life coach
Development through professional coaching, specifically catered towards your individual needs, can have an incredible effect on your business and life, improving focus, confidence, and health.
Self-assessment has the drawback of being bias and allowing leniency on yourself, therefore external coaching is your biggest influence keeping you on track, with an impartial and unfiltered auditor telling you what you need to hear.
Conclusion
The art of reinvention is not an overnight remedy, sometimes things may naturally fall into place effortlessly, other times you may face knockbacks, so they require persistence, learn to celebrate the small victories along the way. Equipped with a clear vision, a positive attitude, and dedication, you can be sure a positive transformation will follow.
An article by Gautam Gajjar.