At times in the past when I have been extremely stressed, I have dreamed of selling everything, moving to a beach with beautiful water, and spending my days renting out parasail rides from a tiki hut. (Anybody with me on this?) I would seriously ask myself 1) could I actually chuck everything and do that; and 2) Would it make me happier?

 

Dreaming of reinvention often occurs when you are hyper stressed and exhausted, or feel stuck in a rut, or feel devoid of meaning or purpose, or simply bored with your life. In some extreme cases, reinvention seems like the only solution to your desperation for a different way of living or to find something that feels missing in your life.

 

And I have met people who have implemented whole scale life reinvention…successfully. There was a hospitality executive who bought a winery in Napa Valley or the luxury brand businesswoman who became a family law mediator.

 

However, whole life reinvention can be hard—and maybe not completely necessary. Do you really want the full makeover, or do you only want some parts of your life to be different?

 

When I embarked on my “joy journey,” I was open to the possibility and, in some ways really wishing for, a whole life reinvention. But what I realized was that I liked many of the aspects of my life. I didn’t need the full makeover. I only needed to adjust a few areas to find more joy.

 

The key to this reinvention process is to be (sometimes painfully) honest with yourself about what is working and what isn’t in your life. Engage in self-exploration (values, strengths, relationships, etc.). Be creative and open to new ideas. And seek support and feedback from those who love you.

 

Change isn’t easy, and sometimes you only need a spot treatment to maximize your happiness.