I used to be fascinated with Audrey Hepburn. She was charming, beautiful, soft, and feminine. It was 2012, and I was watching Funny Face—that’s a classic movie, by the way—and it was that movie that inspired me to dream. The dream was BIG, and at that time, it was Paris. Audrey starred in that movie.

As she skipped around Paris—across la Tour Eiffel, Montmartre, and Sacre Coeur—two things happened. I realised that this could be me, and I became a bit more fascinated by her. Her style, femininity, and mannerisms fascinated me, and I started incorporating them into my life. My timeless style came from her style, not from today’s obsession with Old Money. She was an icon.

And I did. I reinvented myself over two years; I went to Paris twice, changed my style, embraced bliss daily, and lived for myself. She was the ICON who inspired me to pour into myself for the first time ever and to want to pour into others creatively, which I did. However, somewhere along the way, I lost that spark in my late thirties. As I write this, I’m 39, and I have decided to reinvent myself again because it’s a continuous journey. How can I pour into others when my cup is nearly empty. So, I’m starting a 30-day challenge of reinventing myself. I want to return to or instead reignite that spark, that version of myself that my 60-year-old self will be in love with. To refuel my soul and live for me.

Here’s how I will do it: hitting the reset button every month is not ideal.

• First off, write more. I have absolutely loved writing for as long as I’ve known myself—since I was a teenager—and this has dwindled. So, I’ll be dusting out my journal and intentionally pouring into it every day for the next 30 days.
  
• Secondly, I should spend more time outdoors. I’ve come to a hermit somewhat because the outside has been expensive and tedious. I may need to find new things to do. Living on an island has limitations, so for me, that will be a daily walk or an adventure—a hike or a sea bath.
  
• Read a book. With social media, my reading habits have dwindled terribly, and I am ashamed to admit it. As an avid reader and book lover, I haven’t dived into that passion of mine in a while. So I should pick up one of my favourites—How to be Lovely—The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life. I love it.
  
• Nourish my body. This is important. The older I get, the more I realise that nourishing myself in terms of eating is extremely important. I’ve always had an unhealthy relationship with food: not eating enough and not being mindful enough of what I eat when I do eat. So, I am going to challenge myself to do so, to eat for that future me.

This is where we’re starting. Simple, doable and fun. Will you join me?

Here’s how to begin: First, analyse where you are in your life right now. What’s working for you, what are your wins, what do you need to release, and what does that ideal version of yourself who’s living in the future live like? Remember, you’re doing this for her, so think about her when deciding your spark list.

Secondly, don’t overstretch yourself. It’s easy for us to want to do a lot quickly, but pace yourself. If it’s ONE thing you think you can manage to do in the next 30 days, just stick to that one thing.

Lastly, how will you reward yourself for it when you have completed this challenge? A perfume, a lunch, a massage? Decide what works for you and choose that. Let’s become our own iconic selves.