5 Steps which help you embrace change
5 Exercises to help you embrace change
When you are experiencing change in your working or personal life, it can be incredibly stressful and even frightening. You are taking a large step into the unknown and forsaking the comfort of the status quo. Of course, the status quo will not bring you the learning, growth and increased success that you desire. Therefore, you must learn to embrace change. The following exercises will help you to do so:1. List and review 3 of the biggest/most difficult challenges of your life
When faced with big changes, it can be easy to forget that you have been through big changes before. Your life is in constant transition and you will have faced many instances of change. Identify the 3 biggest changes you have encountered and write a brief review outlining how you coped with that change, how you grew as a result of that change and what you learned from the experience. It is easier to embrace change when you realise that you have successfully dealt with it before.
2. Break change into small actions
When you look at the full extent of any change, it can seem completely overwhelming. It is easy to forget that in life, we rarely make the entire change in one attempt. It is important to know what you are attempting to achieve as a result of the change but once you are clear on that, you need to break the change down into the smallest actions which you can take and then take one small action at a time. It is easier to embrace change when that change is gradual.
3. Identify the obstacles
List the 3 biggest obstacles that you will encounter during the change. For each obstacle, brainstorm as many possible solutions as you can. Do not judge or evaluate the solutions at this point; just focus on getting as many potential solutions written down as possible.
Once you have finished the brainstorming, you can then start to evaluate your potential solutions for their likelihood of success. You can then take the best ideas and develop a plan for implementing them.
This method can be used for all the potential obstacles which arise due to the change.
4. Step away from the problem
When you see a problem and you feel that you cannot overcome it, you need to step away from it to give your subconscious mind an opportunity to work on it. There are many different ways to do this, e.g.:
- Meditations
- Breathing exercises
- Go to lunch
- A short walk
- Perform an unrelated activity which completely absorbs you
5. Practice appreciation
Every day, find at least 5 things in your life that you can appreciate. Take a moment to appreciate what each of these things does for you e.g. rather than just saying that you appreciate your partner; state clearly why you appreciate them i.e. the ways in which they make your life better. I like to write my appreciations down which allows me to read back through them to see how much there is in my life to be appreciated.
When you take the time to appreciate everything, you begin to see how many great things there are in your life. You will then realise that whatever you are changing, it is only one small part of a wonderful life. Even if something goes wrong, you will still have so much to enjoy in your life.
Should you experience stress as a result of change, or for any other reason, you might want to check out Stress Free Living.
If you do not have the life you desire, you need to make changes in your life. Change can be difficult and stressful but when you embrace change and recognise all of the good which it can bring to your life; change is no longer frightening. Remember, nothing good was ever achieved without challenging the status quo and making changes. The key to successful change is to embrace change for all that it is worth and move steadily towards your goal. Know that there will be setbacks along the way but you have the ability to overcome these setbacks. The exercises above will help you to embrace change and move forward in your life with greater confidence. Image credit: Flash Alexander