Chapter 1: The Art Of Reinvention

Welcome legends.

A refresher on what we’re doing here:

We’re building a community of growth minded legends (i.e you).

Each Saturday AM you’ll get one big idea that will change how you think (for the better).

If you ever want to jam on these ideas, tell me I’m an idiot, or ask a question…

Hit reply and drop me a line (and if you’re new, you can subscribe here)

Alright, let’s dive in.

Let’s talk about reinvention

I like philosophy.

Not in a douchey way, but more so when it helps explain the point I’m trying to make.

More often than not, we get pretty good at something, figure out a way to get paid decent money, and then just keep doing that thing.

(without wondering what else is possible)

Momentum is a powerful thing. We get a job, level up, settle into a routine, forget about our bigger dreams, and all of a sudden years fly by.

Which isn’t inherently bad, but if you’ve got big dreams you might wake up in 20 years and realized you’ve been living out someone else’s plan.

The good news?

You can decide on any given day to leave the “old you” behind.

And this doesn’t always have to be a huge change. It can start as a small one.

For example:

• Want to become a better writer? Decide to write everyday for 30 days.

• Want to become a better runner? Decide to run everyday for 30 days.

• Want to become a better cook? Cook one new meal everyday for 30 days.

Reinvention comes in all shapes and sizes.

It can be tackled in small bites (which might lead to bigger ones)

You’re not stuck. You can decide to change on any single day.

Not sold yet?

Fine. Let’s look at some (random, but relevant) examples:

Real life examples:

What do Picasso, The Rock, & Ice Cube have in common?

The answer?

They all mastered the art of reinvention.

• Picasso reinvented himself every five years. Exploring different artistic and visual styles made him one of the most important artists of the 20th century.

• Ice Cube went from gangster rapper (s/o NWA), to movie writer/producer, to entrepreneur and basketball league owner.

• The Rock went from broke, injured football player, to WWE star, to action movie star and tequila entrepreneur.

Imagine if any of them decided to remain in the original box they created for themselves. We wouldn’t be talking about them today.

They decided f*ck the status quo and choose to be the author of their own stories.

They followed their curiosity. They trusted their gut. They had conviction in themselves.

In case it’s not clear: you can do the same.

Or you can stay on the same path.

It’s entirely up to you.

If reinvention sounds interesting to you…

Try this today

Have you ever heard of the Odyssey Plan?

Created by Stanford design experts (aka they’re nerds, you should trust them)

It pushes you to envision (3) distinct futures over the next 3-5 years.

Imagine what happens if you:

1. Continue down your current path?

2. Make a big pivot and chase a big dream?

3. Pursue something wild and unconventional?

Map out each plan in detail.

Include the absolute best and absolute worst case of each scenario.

Then reflect on what excites you most.

The Odyssey Plan is meant to do two things:

1) Help you break free from routine thinking
2) Explore diverse possibilities

Not too shabby, huh?

Try it and lmk what you find.

Wrapping things up:

I want to be clear: there is no single “right” path.

Personally, I decided to blow up my life to go after the “wild and unconventional”.

But, in reality my decision to move to Portugal and go all in on my own projects actually felt “the safest”.

Let me explain.

• I want to work on my own projects.

• I want to write and explore my curiosities.

• I want to have location and time freedom.

• I want to help others elevate their thinking and build the life of their dreams.

• I want to do the things that 8 and 80 year old me would be stoked about.

Continuing to do the same thing I was doing, wasn’t going to lead to that.

But, that’s my story. Not yours.

You’ve got to do the work yourself. You’re the author of your life. Ask the questions. Pick up the pen. Write your own story.

No one is going to build your dream life for you.

Hope this hopes. Rooting for ya.

-Dodds

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