Change is a dynamic, constantly evolving experience. Some days we feel ready, willing or able and other days we don’t. Change and success isn’t linear; there are surges and dips.
Change can threaten our sense of safety and security; change can threaten our autonomy and self-determination; change can force us to confront things we’d rather not; change disrupts the status quo; change asks us to build new skills or try new things – which we’re often not sure we can do; change can challenge our current identity and beliefs.
Change can bring great things, change helps us grow, change feels scary sometimes, change expands our horizons, change brings opportunities.
Change is hard because people crave what they already like. It’s the loss of control, concerns about competence, more work, uncertainty and the inborn fact that we’re creatures of habit that creates resistance.
We don’t achieve goals through the mere act of setting them, or through pure will. Eventually we must do something.
Only action creates change and change is hard but that’s okay. You have to move from goals to skills, from skills to practices, and from practices to small, manageable daily actions.
We must make plans, establish goals and visualize ourselves transformed.
Things must be done in a logical order.
First we identify goals – what you want to move towards. Break goals into skills, break skills into practices and break practices into actions. These small, specific actions when repeated over time become habits.
How to:
1) decide to change
2) learn to embrace discomfort
3) identify why you want to change
4) define the changes you want to make
5) identify the things that may hold you back
6) choose your “one thing”
7) set a SMART goal
8) prepare for the storms
9) get your friends and family on board
10) go the distance.
Tips: focus on your why; it’s not failure – it’s data; celebrate small wins; schedule it; and, have an accountability partner; rid your life of negativity; build a support network; and, take baby steps.
It’s the beginning of new year, what changes do you want to make happen?