The level of our success, or our failure is rooted in our habits - whether good or bad.
Change is constant - it is all around us. If it wasn't we would still be saddling up the horse to ride to work, computers would take up an entire floor of a building and well you get the picture.
Change makes new things possible, but when change is outside of our control we often feel challenged to the core of our psychological and emotional selves.
Even if it is subconscious, during change some of our most basic needs can be challenged.
During change there may be a real or perceived threat. Threat of the loss of a position, a job, a role, an entitlement, our safety and security.
Julia Wilson wrote a good little book on change in which she notes our habits are formed out of our environment, our relationships and our experiences and sometimes we develop habits that are not 'in sync' with our dreams and goals, the way we envision our future. For this reason we often fall far short of our goals, dreams, desires and preferred future - getting stuck at the crossroads of change and not making that transition - feeling it is easier to go with the status quo - than to go through the pain of change.
When it comes to change - we either hold onto our dreams to pursue our goals in the face of opposition, challenge, pain, ridicule and derision (often from people who wish they could have made the choices to follow their own dreams) and CHANGE our habits - OR we downgrade our dreams to FIT our current habits and live discontented lives. Not thriving, just surviving.
We have a choice
Its about where we focus our attention and energy. We can choose to focus on
things that are outside our circle of influence and get annoyed with people or blame the organisation for forcing change upon us. Or we can be proactive.
It starts with our thinking!
Someone once said
"watch your thoughts - they become your words || watch your words - they become your actions || watch your actions - they become your habits || watch your habits - they become your character || watch your character - it becomes your destiny!!"
I think its starts even before thoughts - it begins with our vision - our dreaming - that is what we think on - are you visioning a great future full of possibilities or are you visioning out of fear a future that is futile empty and pointless? What we envision, we think on. Then thoughts become words - words become actions actions become habits - habits become character - character becomes destiny and before we know it we are either living the dream or living out an empty existence.
I have seen people dream big impossible dreams and through hard work, achieve them - those people constantly run into areas where they need to change things, sometimes things that work well but are in the way of something even better - and always change is hard work. But the pain of change brings a reward.
I have seen others defeated even before they have given the dream a chance, satisfied with 'second best', 'almost good enough'. And I have even seen people die in the agony of the bitterness they envisaged because they did not adapt to the changes that were not of their own choosing.
William Bridges talks about change vs transition - saying:
Change is external. It’s something that happens to you even if you don’t agree with it. Change can happen very quickly (kind of like when the weather changes from one hour to the next).
Transition is internal. It’s what happens inside of your mind when you face change. Transitions happen slowly over time (sort of like the passing from one season to another).
If we look at change in the light of what happens inside of us, we can position ourselves to become more adaptable - and allow change to energise us for new beginnings.
This comes back to what we allow ourselves to think about and dwell on when it comes to change.
How can we thrive through change that is not of our choice?
Focus on what is in our control
•What can we directly control? •Where can we have influence? •What are we concerned about but cannot control? What do we need to let go of in order to move forward?
Key tips:
•Be proactive •Set goals/ take action •Set priorities •Be involved
The power of change is that making a small change in one area, creates a momentum of change in other areas.
How many times have you decided to "just paint one wall" and ended up with all new furniture in a room. Or just clear out a cupboard, and ended up with a whole new system of organisation?
Let change motivate you to reach your goals.
You always have a choice.
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. If you cant change your attitude, move on. Take control. We are not ships without a sail, we can influence our own destiny.
It starts here. It starts now. It begins with your vision.
Write down your vision.
Create a vision board.
Set some goals.
Reach some goals.
Create a life you want to live.
And if you need help - contact us today.