Love is in the air. Thanks to the economy, many women (and men) have been struck by Cupid’s arrow, forced by a job loss or pay cut, to reinvent and become an entrepreneur. We’re living in a decade of ReinventPreneurs (you heard it here first). It’s a beautiful world where the glass ceiling for women disappears and the gender gap is turned on its head. We are only limited by our thoughts and the size of our entrepreneurial dreams. That noise you’re hearing is your heart, beating fast from excitement. Or maybe that’s fear creeping in. Going on the first reinvention date can be kind of scary. It’s easy to slip from infatuation to wanting to take Cupid’s arrow and stab him back in the heart. The shower scene in Psycho comes to mind. Where’s a reinvention restraining order when you need one?

5 Tips to Fall In Love With and Embrace Reinvention

Enjoy the ride: Embracing reinvention is like riding a roller coaster. There’s moments of exhilaration, as you feel like you’re flying at warp speed with the wind blowing through your hair and you shout out, “Wohooooooo!”  Seconds later, your stomach is in knots and you’re choking back the egg sandwich you had for breakfast. Buckle up and be ready to run back to the front of the line for the next thrill. Crossing the Steel Dragon off your bucket list is way more fun than going back to the old you.

Embrace change: The only thing you can count on in life is change. I start my day with a morning walk around a lake which reminds me that change is one of the natural laws of the universe. If the plants, trees and animals are not growing and changing, they die. Take a lesson from Mother Nature and do one thing each day that’s a little out of your comfort zone and exercise your “reinvention muscles”. It worked out pretty well for butterflies. Turns out it applies to humans, too.

Get a makeover: For many women, reinventing starts with a new hair cut/color or wardrobe change. Makeovers renew our self-image, which impacts how we express our individuality and personal brand. Even a new pair of shoes can make us feel like we’re ready to conquer the world. If you have the same hairstyle in every picture on the Facebook movie you just made, it’s time to reinvent your look.

Be brave: Self-doubt is the biggest obstacle on your reinvention path. Stop thinking. Instead, make a list of all the accomplishments you’ve achieved. Don’t forget the Nintendo you won for selling the most wrapping paper during your 5th grade fundraiser. That was pretty awesome. With each achievement, you’ll feel yourself standing taller, stronger, and braver. Make like a lion and ROAR.

Ditch the ego: Reinventing is an exciting journey, until we wake up and realize we’re not the (fill-in-the-blank) we’ve defined ourselves as for the last umpteen years. You have to be willing to let go of status and the ego that goes with it to fully embrace the new you. Friends and family might have an even more difficult time of it, but they’ll get used to it. A friend who recently left his high paying NYC job to reinvent himself as an entrepreneur said the hardest part was explaining to his kids why Daddy wasn’t getting dressed in his suit to leave for work every day. He trashed all the reports and files that were left over from his job as part of a reinvention ritual to begin with a fresh start. There was no looking back and nowhere to go but forward, into his future. Good advice.

For more ideas on how to reinvent yourself or your business, check out this related article from Entrepreneur.com.

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