Let’s be honest, reinventing oneself is not everyone’s priority. There are many who don’t and who live happy, fulfilling lives pursuing a single career that gives them immense satisfaction. ‘For those who strive to build better lives for themselves, continuously reinventing their careers may be a means to progress financially and socially. There are also people who enjoy change for its own sake and reinvent their careers in order to remain stimulated and challenged,’ says executive consultant and Integral Coach Nikki Hendricks.
Knowing when to reinvent yourself
Nikki says it’s important to ensure that your career reinvention will stretch and develop your capabilities. If you are not thrust into the situation involuntarily, or do not have a specific plan that requires you to reinvent yourself, one way to know that it is time is if what you’re doing no longer makes you happy.
‘If you cannot imagine doing something for the rest of your life or you are feeling trapped, it’s time to think about getting out. A question that you can also ask yourself is: “What do I want them to say about me at my funeral one day, and is what I’m doing helping me get there?” If the answer is no, you may want to think about reinventing yourself,’ says Nikki.
Does reinventing yourself work?
‘Repeatedly reinventing my career has worked for me. It has taken me out of poverty, enabled me to give my children opportunities I didn’t have, and kept me challenged and motivated. My basket of skills has also grown and I have developed as a person,’ says Nikki. Her advice has always been to think of one or two career moves ahead so that you know where you are going.
‘This approach provides you with forward momentum and allows you to start acquiring the knowledge and skills that you will need when you make your career change,’ she advises. Even if you don’t pursue your intended career, what you have learnt will stand you in good stead. No knowledge, experience or skill is ever wasted.
Reinvention has no age limit!
There is no age limit to reinventing yourself, and to believe that there is, is self-limiting. ‘Every age has its opportunities and its constraints. Knowing what you’re prepared to sacrifice is as important as knowing what you’re aiming for,’ says Nikki. She did an MBA at the age of 50 and it required 2–3 hours of work a night at a time when she had a tough job and a husband who was undergoing treatment for terminal cancer.
‘Without that qualification, I would not have become a general manager, and so many other opportunities would have been lost to me. I succeeded and reinvented my career in a manner I could not have envisaged when I started,’ she says.
The positive effects of reinventing oneself
‘Reinventing yourself and/or your career can be very daunting. It can be very frightening going into the unknown. Hence thinking ahead is helpful, and having back-up plans for your back-up plans is a very good idea. And even if change is thrust upon you unexpectedly, taking a step back and thinking through your situation can have a very calming effect,’ says Nikki.
Her one golden rule is that whatever you do, you must be true to who you are and when you draw up your list of what you want to do, it’s also important to know what you don’t want to do. ‘Reinvention teaches you resilience and adaptability, which are helpful in life, not just in your career,’ says Nikki.
She has a set of principles that she guards dearly. ‘These include being truthful, doing what’s right even when no one is watching, striving to ensure that my actions are intended for good and not to harm, and, something which I added quite late in life, being proud of my humble roots,’ says Nikki.
Nothing quite beats the sense of accomplishment you feel when you look back and see how you have grown. If you ever doubted yourself, stop! The start of the year is the perfect time to align your career goals. Good luck!
