Every few years, I get bored with myself, and that is usually my cue for a round of reinvention. And I don’t mean a mild, “Hmm, maybe I need a haircut” boredom. I mean, dead bored with my thoughts, my habits, my wardrobe, even the way I respond to texts. It’s as if the version of me I’ve been living with has gone stale, like yesterday’s bread. That’s when I know it’s time to fire myself.
Yes, you read that right. I fire myself.
Consider this my official announcement: Dear Old Me, thank you for your service, but your contract has ended. Please pack your emotional baggage and exit stage left.
This is what I call my reinvention rigmarole.
Reinvention, for me, is part spiritual cleanse, part spring cleaning, and part delicious chaos. It’s that itchy feeling that tells me I’ve outgrown my own skin. And if I ignore it for too long, life will do it for me, usually in the form of heartbreak, career upheaval, or a haircut I regret.
The first step in my reinvention process is to let go of everything that no longer feels like
me. I fire myself from outdated habits (hello, doomscrolling at 1 a.m.), expired beliefs (“This is just who I am!” is a lazy excuse), and from people and patterns that no longer bring joy.
Then comes the awkward part: the messy middle.
This is the phase where I feel like a tabula rasa with Wi-Fi — blank, but still oddly connected to my old ways. I float between identities, feeling like an understudy in my own life. It’s uncomfortable, yes, but necessary. Reinvention is rarely tidy; it’s supposed to feel a little like molting.
And then, slowly, beautifully, the rehire happens.
I rehire myself with updated job responsibilities: new habits, a new mindset, sometimes a new haircut that actually works. This new version of me has better boundaries, more clarity, and (hopefully) slightly better taste in Netflix shows.
Reinvention has taught me that growth doesn’t have to be dramatic to be real. Sometimes it’s just a quiet decision to show up differently. To say no where I once said yes. To say yes where I once hid behind fear.
And let’s be honest, reinvention can be fun. It’s an excuse to experiment. To try new things. To shock people who thought they had me figured out. To shock myself.
Of course, not everyone will cheer you on when you’re reinventing yourself. Some will be confused. Some will resist. Some will try to pull you back to the version of you they were comfortable with. That’s okay, you’re not reinventing yourself for them.
You’re doing it because you’ve decided you deserve a fresher, fuller version of your own life.
Every time I complete a reinvention cycle, I look back at the “me” I just fired and feel a mix of gratitude and amusement. She did her best. She carried me this far. But she’s not who I want to be anymore.
So yes, I fire and rehire myself as often as needed, with no HR paperwork required. It’s my way of keeping life fresh, staying curious, and reminding myself that I am always allowed to start over.
Because at the end of the day, reinvention isn’t a one-off event; it’s a lifelong practice. A practice that makes life richer, deeper, and infinitely more interesting.
And if that means going through the reinvention rigmarole every few years, so be it.
Here’s to firing, rehiring, and always becoming the newest, truest version of me.
This daily reinvention of yourself keeps you from getting stuck in a rut and helps you stay on the move.
I love how you put it — “Firing and Re-Hiring Yourself”. This is a wonderful mantra to live by. (spot the em-dash )
Cheers,
CRD
I support the idea of “firing and rehiring” myself constantly, it’s such a familiar cycle of reinvention, doubt, and rediscovery.
Growth is painful because it demands change and that is why we often resist it.I like your strategy , this keeps you on your toes rather than falling in a rut. I have these cycles where I sometimes feel I am too exhausted to change anything and then one fine day I will just go about making changes everywhere.
This is the perfect way to recapping every phase of your life. We have to let off all that no longer works, our habits and clothing and anything that is redundant. After all, life is nothing but evolution. Great job and firing and rehiring Mayuri.
Good going, Mayuri! I am all for firing and rehiring. Believe me, you, I have done that a lot, and now it has become a continuous process. It is good to look back and see how much you have evolved. I was this meek, gullible, soft-spoken homemaker. But now no one can take me for a ride or make me do what I do not want to.
This is a delightful take. Reinvention is necessary every time we are lost, for us to grow. Truly said- firing and re-hiring
Firing and Rehiring is something new words combination for me but I liked it and the way you thought and practice it. What an invention by you dear. Round of applause dear.
This article perfectly captures the constant evolution many of us feel, especially in creative or entrepreneurial paths. The idea of “firing and rehiring” yourself is such a brilliant way to frame that necessary, sometimes uncomfortable, process of shedding old skins to grow. It really resonates with anyone who’s ever felt that restless urge to pivot and redefine their purpose.
Firing and rehiring yourself is a great term. I think all of us go through this at one point.
The idea of ‘firing’ and ‘rehiring’ yourself captures those cycles of change so well. It’s messy, it’s awkward, and somehow it’s exactly what growth looks like.
What a brilliant, witty, and relatable take on personal growth! I love how you frame reinvention as both fun and necessary, blending humor, honesty, and insight.
Wow, that’s a novel take on life and our response to it. I’ve seen you change over time and must say that every time you rehire yourself, it’s an amazing new refined version! This rigmarole surely works for you.
I too do it all the time, just never thought of it as hiring and firing. But yes, I hate monotony. I keep doing something new every now and then, my taste in movies keeps switching, and I even get bored of the same people… So yes, I too keep reinventing to rejuvenate my soul. After all, isn’t change the only constant?