How To Reinvent Yourself With The Taylor Swift Blueprint Anyone Can Use

(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that I’ll earn a small commission if you decide to buy using these links. Buying won’t cost you anything extra, but it’ll allow this blog to earn an income ― thank you if use them! You can read my full affiliate disclosure here.)


No one does reinvention quite like Taylor Swift.

In fact, one could argue that she’s the reigning queen of reinvention.

She doesn’t just embrace change — she creates it, embodies it, steamrolls it into something much bigger than her, and she’s done it multiple times over.

And with a career spanning eleven ‘eras’ over 20 years , it doesn’t look like she’s about to slow down any time soon.

“What does Taylor Swift got to do with me?”, you ask.

Plenty. She’s a human who started at level zero, and so are you.

No, you don’t need to harbor a secret fantasy of becoming a billionaire pop star, but if you’ve been feeling a persistent desire to do something or be someone different, and don’t have a clue how to reinvent yourself, then you might find stealing a page (or ten, who’s counting?) from Ms Swift’s very accomplished book, a worthwhile exercise.

1. ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE INTO CHAPTERS

In Taylor Swift-speak, that’s eras.

With every album she releases, Swift takes on a new sound, a new look and an entirely new energy.

Each era is driven by events that she’s experienced personally and professionally as she makes her way through life, all of which serve as the raw ingredients for her art and their transformation, as a way to make sense of whatever she’s going through.

As someone who feels the need to change things up every few years, I’m finding the idea of replicating this way of living increasingly appealing because it pushes me to think about progression, lowering my chances of getting stuck in a rut.

While you may not make music records for a living, your life has had — and will continue to have — phases as well, and organising them into ‘chapters’ can help you map out where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you’re headed with more clarity.

Defining your own chapters also gives you a bird’s eye view of everything you’ve done (or haven’t done), experienced (the good and bad), and ultimately, the overall theme of your life.

Your life story is yours and yours alone to write, and if you’re feeling stuck in one particular chapter, remember this: You can start writing a new one whenever you want.

2. FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE

With every new era, Taylor Swift is still Taylor Swift the storyteller-songwriter-singer her family, friends and colleagues know, but her musical persona takes on an entirely new shape, form and energy.

But before you jump head first into your next era, you’ll need to figure out who you are at your very core, so that you’ll know what you’re going change about yourself, and why.

Now’s the time to begin a process of self-inquiry that will help you get to know yourself better.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What would you like to have more of in your life?

What would you like to have less of in your life?

Pay attention to what lights you up and what drags you down every day. Write them down.

Listen carefully for those internal whispers, yearnings and screams — they’re telling you where to go next.

3. DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO? PICK ONE THING. ANYTHING

Swift knew at a very young age that she would end up pursuing a career in music.

Most of us, on the other hand, grow up with no clue what to do with our lives.

Some of us end up doing what our parents want us to do (if you’re Asian, you’ll know what I mean). Others ‘fall’ into a career path by accident, and by sheer luck, find tremendous success and fulfilment from it.

The rest of us patch something vaguely resembling a career together out of a mixture of desperation (because bills don’t pay themselves), exasperation (you just do what you gotta do) and curiosity (what if…?).

But no matter which camp you fall into, it doesn’t meant that you can’t learn a thing or two from Swift’s constantly evolving trajectory.

She may very well have been born with mighty ambition and laser focus, but her massively early headstart meant that she also clocked in the 10,000 hours (and so much more) she needed to master her craft, much earlier on too.

While reinventing yourself doesn’t have to mean clocking in your 10,000 hours, getting better at something new that challenges you can do wonders for making you feel like a new person.

If you don’t know where to start, just pick one thing, anything that you’re interested in, even if it’s something small.

It could be something as subtle as changing your personal style, eating better or learning how to nurture a calmer mind.

And if it’s something that can earn you extra money, like cooking, writing or teaching others a skill that you’re already good at, even better.

4. DECIDE HOW TO BECOME THAT PERSON

Once you’ve picked your reinvention path, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to get there.

If you’re thinking about changing careers, will you need to go back to school?

If you want to start exercising or eating better, would hiring a fitness coach or nutritionist help?

Want to be in control of your finances? Start tracking your expenses to see where you’re at.

Maybe learning all you can about personal style and your body type will have you all set up if updating your wardrobe is your goal.

Got a major life change in mind, like say, moving to a new country to start afresh? Speaking to others who’ve done the same and researching the steps you’ll need to take will likely have to go on your to-do list.

As soon as you’ve got your reinvention ducks lined up in a row, it’s time for take-off.

5. BE READY FOR CHALLENGES

When change is on the cards, your biggest obstacle will likely be the resistance that comes up.

Often, this resistance is internal — your own fears, limiting beliefs, or even traumas.

At other times, resistance builds outside of you in the form of people who don’t like the idea of you changing, a lack of resources (like time, money or energy), or some other circumstance that’s beyond your control.

Feel like you’ve run into a brick wall? Follow Swift’s lead and build your reinvention road around it instead.

A feud with record executive Scooter Braun over the sale of her six-album catalog prompted Swift to embark on a massive re-recording project to ensure that she owns all six of her old (but new Taylor’ Versions) albums.

She could have surrendered to Braun’s unexpected acquisition and his new terms, which to her, were not in her favor.

But instead, Swift chose to stay nimble on her feet and keep her eye on the ultimate prize: Full ownership of her life’s work and never having to work with someone she didn’t want to, ever again.

It’s not a matter of if, when it comes to running into obstacles on the way to any kind of meaningful change — it’s a matter of who or what, and when.

So before something comes up to derail your reinvention journey, it’s best to take a page out of Swift’s book and be ready for it.

6. BE PREPARED TO MAKE SACRIFICES

As an aspiring singer-songwriter in her teens, Swift gave up what the rest of us would consider a normal life for someone her age — going to school, partying and hanging out with her friends — so she could focus on being a rising star.

Swift sacrificed normalcy and stuck to her impeccable work ethic for decades, and now, she’s literally one of the biggest pop stars on planet earth.

Which brings me to what I’m about to tell you: If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Cliched? Very much so, but in the age of get-rich-and-famous-quick schemes, it’s not being said enough.

Doing anything new will require you to put in your time, effort or money (or all three), and take some risks.

And the truth is, not doing anything comes with its own set of trade-offs (these usually show up as regrets), so you might as well opt to do something that sets you up to win in the future.

7.NO ONE CARES, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE FUN

I hate to break it to you, but the only one who cares as much about what you’re doing with your life is you.

Really, no one’s looking. Unless you happen to be Taylor Swift.

Everyone else is too busy with their own ups, downs, hopes, dreams and dramas to think about what or how you’re doing as much as you do.

The bad news is, how you live your life is entirely up to you.

The good news is, how you live your life is entirely up to you.

Whether you fly to the moon or fall flat on your face, no one’s paying attention (except maybe your boss), so you might as well do what you want to do, however you want to do it and have a ball doing it.

And if someone happens to be looking but laughs at you when you do trip on the playground (and you will…at some point), here are some words from Swift (who despite being crucified and canceled, brought her career back to life with sheer determination and tenacity) you might want to keep these words of hers in mind: “And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”

So let them.

8. RINSE, REPEAT AND BE RESILIENT

The road to reinvention is littered with one-off efforts that have failed to launch, and left to rot.

You don’t have to be a time-management freak to make things happen, but if you want to learn how to swim, you will have to put in the hours to get afloat and stay there.

Most successful people (like Swift) aren’t just consistent with their craft — they also have an unwavering drive to become the best at what they do and an uncompromising work ethic to support it.

But don’t let the uncertainty and overwhelm of making a big change (or any change at all) intimidate and keep you from taking those first steps.

Try doing something small, like being more present in your every day life, getting more sleep or deepening your relationships with the people you care about the most.

Figure out what you need to do to be successful with the foundational aspects of your life, have fun doing it, and the rest will follow.

But should you choose a path of greater sacrifice, intense focus and mastery, it has to be one that your heart really wants; not one that someone else wants for you or one that you think you should take.


HELPFUL RESOURCES

Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy The Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James I got my hands on this treasure over 15 years ago, way before simple living and minimalism became popular, and it was the first resource that introduced me to the practical, everyday steps I needed to ‘un-complicate’ my life.

Boundaries: When To Say Yes, How To Say No To Take Control Of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend Not having boundaries can end up wreaking havoc in your relationships and leave you feeling resentful, used, and disrespected. In this book, Cloud and Townsend show you how to get over the guilt of setting limits (this is particularly helpful if you’re a recovering people-pleaser like me) and equip you with the skills you need to build healthy relationships that will fulfill, not drain you dry.

Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen and Roger Fisher Lousy, conflict-ridden conversations strain relationships, and don’t make difficult relationships any better. Here, the authors take you into the process of managing and expressing your feelings constructively rather than constantly muddling through who’s right, who meant what and who’s to blame.

Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret To Recognizing And Coping With Narcissists by Dr. Craig Malkin I never realized narcissists existed until I became tangled up with one for several years. It was only after I discovered what a narcissist was that I understood the damage that had been done to me. Dr. Malkin, a therapist, explains the true nature of narcissism — the good and bad, how unhealthy levels of narcissism can wreak havoc on your life, how to spot red flags that you might be dealing with a narcissist, and how to not only cope, but thrive when dealing with the narcissists in your life.

The Simple Living Guide When life feels overwhelming, this guide-and-workbook-in-one will help you gain clarity with your values, well-being, career, relationships and money.

The Good Morning Guide If your mornings are typically rushed, chaotic and stressful, I made this guide to help you start your day calm, sane and strong.

Tribe Of Mentors: Short Life Advice From The Best In The World by Timothy Ferriss Nothing beats having a mentor in your life who can personally guide you from day one. But not everyone does, and if (like me), you don’t, it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn from the best. Take what you need from the likes of Ray Dalio, Ben Stiller, Bear Grylls and more in this varied but comprehensive compilation of bite-sized advice on life, work and purpose from some of the best minds in the world.


START FEELING CALMER, HAPPIER & HEALTHIER…NOW.

If you’re too busy surviving, chances are, you’re not thriving. You’re feeling tired, unhealthy, unmotivated and just plain worn-out from life. I created my FREE Daily Self-Care Ritual Workbook just for busy folks like you who want to take back their health, peace of mind and happiness. Get your very own copy of the workbook HERE. No spam. Just helpful, good-for-you stuff. Pinky swear.



Photo credit: Jovan Vasiljević on Unsplash

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *