It's Never too Late to Reinvent Yourself and Upgrade Your Identity
- Sarah Centrella
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
They say that in order to fully transform, you must be willing to detach and let go of who you used to be including your old identity, personality and/or persona.
Because the you that got you where you are today is not enough to take you where you ultimately want to go.
So what are those identities? Who were you say five years ago, or perhaps for your whole life, that you no longer want to be?
My Identity Reinvention Example
I started writing on my blog in 2009, and in 2015, I got my first book deal. But I kept telling myself, "I'm not really a writer," because I didn't believe I deserved that title. After all, I'd taught myself to read at 13 and never graduated from college.
I was self-conscious about my writing ability and never told anyone that I wrote books until my third book was released in 2022. Even then, I felt uncomfortable saying it.
So, even though I had three traditionally published books, my beliefs were sabotaging my ultimate success and limiting their reach. On one hand, I was saying, "I want to be a New York Times bestselling author," but I was walking around with the belief that I wasn't a real writer. I still saw myself as the old, uneducated version of me.
To change that and reach the level of success I was working so hard to attain, I needed to reinvent my identity and beliefs.
So, I wrote out what I wanted to release:
"I release the version of me who is uneducated, who is self-conscious about her writing ability, and who does not believe she deserves to be seen as a real and successful writer.
I release the belief that says I don't deserve this success because I don't have the same training or background as other writers. I release the girl who was afraid to tell people I write books."
Step 1: To reinvent yourself, first ask, what are my old identities?
In other words, I need to identify who I've always been, or am now, before I can see what needs to be changed or left behind.
Get a journal and answer these questions...
What do I think about myself?
What words have always best described my personality and who I am? List both the good and the "bad." Also think about things you do or how you behave that people have given you positive or negative feedback on. We need an honest list.
What have I always believed about my ability to succeed at any given goal or task?
What have I believed about my own potential?
Have I generally felt worthy or unworthy of having good things happen to me?
How do people perceive me? How do people who have just met me treat me versus people who know me well?
I've always thought of myself as someone who... (Add as many descriptors here as you can.)
How have I talked about myself, my body, my job, and my relationships?
Do I see myself as lucky or unlucky?
Do I believe I'm "good" or "bad" at relationships, handling money, achieving my goals, etc.?
What behaviors do I want to leave in the past? What things have I done that I know are not serving me, such as procrastination, self-sabotage, bad habits, or people-pleasing?
What things do I say about myself or my life that I know are not helping me?
What things do I want to change about myself, such as character traits or personality traits?
Write out two pages of all the personality traits and identities that you are ready to leave behind. They are not coming with you into this new chapter. Shed that old version of you like a snake sheds its skin.
That list now reflects and discribes the OLD YOU.
Step 2: Take the time to define the new you.
Write out exactly who you want to be.
If it helps, think of this new version as your alter ego. Maybe find one and name him or her. This has always helped me step into the next version of who I want to be.
Write down the new you:
What are all the personality traits and characteristics I want to embody as this new version of me?
Who do I want to be in this next chapter of my life?
Imagine this new you, how do you walk into a room?
How do people treat this new me?
How would people describe me?
How do I describe meself?
Who is this new person?
How do I dress or present myself?
What are some new habits I've adopted?
This is the process of creating you 2.0.
My Example:
After I identified and released the behaviors and beliefs that were holding me back, I wrote out who I wanted to become as it related to my dream of becoming a New York Times bestselling author. I wrote simple I AM Statements, a tool in my Think It Method™.
Things like:
I am a well-respected writer.
I am a New York Times bestselling author.
I write bestselling books.
I am a writer.
I am an award-winning author.
I am a great narrative writer.
I began saying these statements to myself daily. I wrote them out and put them on my wall. I added photos to my Futureboard that represented these dreams, along with photos of authors I admire. I began telling people that I am a writer and an author.
Now, several years later, when anyone asks me what I do, it is the first thing I naturally say. I became the woman who now sees herself as the version I had once only written down on paper.
For the first time, my identity matches my beliefs, which match my hustle. All three are in alignment.
I have not yet made the New York Times bestseller list, but I know I will with my upcoming memoir, Anomaly!
Step 3: Find ways to integrate this new version of you into your daily life.
Pick a few specific things you can start doing today to begin embodying this new version of yourself. This is the part where you "act as if" you are already transformed. You become this new person before the new life arrives to accompany it.
Do these two things:
What is a physical change I can make today that represents this bigger reinvention? Maybe it is creating a new morning routine, changing your style, or finding a new way to introduce yourself when you meet someone. Pick two or three specific things that are aligned with how this new version of you operates.
Do the daily mental fitness work to make this transformation stick. Write your I AM Statements. Download my free guide for instructions and journal prompts that will help you apply this tool effectively.
My Example: How I Integrated My Reinvention to Create My Upgraded Identity
I started writing again. After I identified and released my limiting beliefs around writing, I realized that I had actually stopped writing for several years. When blogging died off, I stopped writing on a regular basis back in 2016. So, to embody my new identity as a paid writer, I started a Substack in January 2025 and also wrote my fourth book, Think It.
Then, in May 2026, I wrote my fifth book, a narrative memoir called Anomaly, in a 40-day, trance-like marathon. I had tried to write that book for 20 years but never could because my former belief that I was "not a real writer" prevented me from finding its voice. I had also always said, "I can't write narrative. I'm just not a narrative writer."
Once I was able to change those beliefs and see myself as a well-respected, award-winning author and future New York Times bestseller, I was able to tap into that voice and write the book that had been elusive for 20 years. I wrote 518 pages in 40 days. It literally fell out of me!
Now, my agent is preparing to pitch it to publishers, and I have no doubt that it will surpass my dreams for it.
That is what transformation and reinvention look like. It is a simple example, but one that has had a dramatic effect on my life.
So, what will it look like for you?
Do this homework, complete all the journal prompts above, and spend the next few days releasing the old you and calling in the new. It is time to cash in on all the work that has gotten you this far and embrace the new version of yourself who will catapult you into your next chapter of success and manifestation.
I am now working on my next reinvention. This one is a total personality and persona upgrade that will allow me to embrace and hold the success that is coming. Here are a few posts I wrote about it.
Read All My Posts
About the Author: Sarah Centrella is a keynote speaker, executive mindset coach, and multi–bestselling author of four books, including Think It. | Book her to speak. Listen to her podcast | Follow on Insta Sarah Centrella
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identity transformation, how to reinvent yourself, personal transformation, mindset shift, becoming your next self, mental fitness, daily habits for change
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