The Myth of Reinvention—and the Truth Behind Real Change
We love the idea of becoming “a new person.” Reinvention sounds powerful, cinematic, and clean. But real change? It’s messier than that. It doesn’t happen in one grand gesture. It happens in death—specifically, the quiet, daily deaths of who you were yesterday.
And as strange as it sounds, one of the most powerful ways to do that?
Aim low.
Yes, low.
As Jordan Peterson puts it:
“Don’t compare yourself with other people; compare yourself with who you were yesterday.”
Big dreams are beautiful. But transformation doesn’t come from leaping tall buildings—it comes from inching forward in moments no one else sees.
Why We Get Stuck: The Burden of Who We Think We’re Supposed to Be
Most people aren’t stuck because they’re lazy. They’re stuck because they’re trying to become someone too far awayfrom where they currently are.
You’re 20 pounds overweight and trying to wake up at 5 a.m., go to the gym, meal prep for a week, and read three books this month. You’re deep in debt but trying to build a six-figure business in 30 days.
You’re not wrong to want more. But when the distance between who you are and who you think you should be is too vast, it doesn’t inspire change—it causes paralysis.
“You have to start by aiming low. If something can be done at all, it can be done by you, and it can be done now.” – Jordan Peterson
This is where the old self must begin to die—not in fire and glory, but in quiet humility.
The Power of Aiming Low (But Not Staying There)
Aiming low isn’t giving up. It’s giving in—to the truth of your starting point. It’s saying:
“I’m not going to try to be perfect today. I’m going to be slightly better than I was yesterday.”
It’s brushing your teeth after three days of depression.
It’s getting out of bed and standing in the sunlight for five minutes.
It’s washing one dish when the sink is full.
It’s telling the truth once, when you’d usually lie to keep the peace.
These are not small things. These are sacred.
Because every time you do one, you take a tiny bite out of the person you don’t want to be anymore. You let them go.
And in that space, something better emerges.
“The purpose of life is finding the largest burden that you can bear and bearing it.” – Jordan Peterson
But you don’t lift that burden all at once. You build the strength to carry it by starting small.
Letting the Old You Die (And Letting the New You Earn Its Place)
We often think we need to “find ourselves.” But more often than not, we need to abandon parts of ourselves that no longer serve.
The people-pleaser.
The liar.
The addict.
The victim.
The procrastinator.
Those identities won’t leave easily. They’ll whisper, “You need me to survive.”
And at one point, maybe you did.
But not anymore.
And every time you make a small, better choice, you chip away at their control. You become more conscious. More capable. More you.
“If you aren’t moving forward in your life, something inside you is dead.” – Jordan Peterson
Letting the old you die isn’t a loss—it’s a return. A shedding. A resurrection, one day at a time.
How to Aim Low, Build Up, and Transform Without Shame
Here’s what this might look like in your life:
1. Pick a target so small it’s laughable.
Make your bed. Drink a glass of water. Say “thank you” and mean it. Start where you are, not where your ego thinks you should be.
2. Repeat it until it becomes effortless.
Success is less about motivation and more about momentum. Consistency rewires identity.
3. Stack the next smallest challenge.
Don’t double the weight. Add a pebble. Go from one push-up to two. From silence to speaking one truth per day.
4. Celebrate every win like it matters—because it does.
Every act of integrity, courage, discipline, or kindness is a quiet funeral for the old self. Attend it with gratitude.
When You Change a Little, Everything Changes a Lot
The beauty of aiming low is that it leads you somewhere high—slowly, sustainably, without self-destruction.
“It’s better to do something badly than to not do it at all.” – Jordan Peterson
You don’t need to become perfect today. You need to become willing. Willing to try. Willing to fail better. Willing to let who you were give way to who you could be.
So let the old you die.
Not in shame.
But in honor.
Because they got you here.
But they can’t take you further.