 Change is incredibly scary. The unknown, the unfamiliar territory, the knowledge that you don’t even know all that you don’t know. Sometimes though, you know you need to make a change. You know that if you don’t take action that things will certainly not get better on their own. But again, change is scary. So what do you do? There is a lot you can do. Here's 6 things for starters. 1. Decide Your Risks List out what you are risking. Make a list of everything that you are afraid of giving up (potentially or for sure) if you make this change. Consider the value of the items on that list as you go. Are you risking more than your potential rewards? 2. Imagine Your Future (If You Change) Take time to close your eyes and envision what your future will look like with the change. Consider all aspects of your life that will be affected by the change. Is this a life you want? Do you see good things happening? 3. Imagine Your Future (If You Don’t Change) Consider your future life if you don’t make that change. Do you see yourself being happy? Do you see the same old same old? Now, consider the outcomes of both futures you have imagined. Does one seem better? Does one have more opportunities for happiness? Be honest with these imagined futures. 4. Recruit Help Change is scary and challenging, but you do not have to go it alone. Recruit the essential people in your life to support you through these changes. This can be a partner, friend, parent, or anyone willing to give advice, a shoulder, or help fill in the gaps in other areas of your life as you go through the transitions. 5. Start Small You do not have to jump in with both feet on your first attempt at making changes. Start small if you need or want to. Little changes can add up to make significant differences and will allow you to do things at your own pace. 6. Give Yourself Grace Mistakes happen. Missteps are taken. Balls are dropped. Give yourself grace as you navigate this new territory and find your way on your journey of change. Taking the plunge and pushing yourself into much-needed change does not have to be an all or nothing situation, and you do not have to go it alone. Consider the steps you need to take and how you can set yourself up for success when change is on the horizon.
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 We all experience fear sometimes, but it can paralyze us in the face of significant changes. That’s not cool. Big changes are going to happen consistently in our lives. When fear stops you in your tracks, take a few moments to consider the five strategies I’ve listed below so you can overcome your fear and move forward with positive life pivots.
1. Start Small - You do not have to climb the mountain of change in one step. When a big change is staring you in the face, break it down into small steps that you can conquer one by one. Doing this will make everything seem more manageable and less scary. 2. Stop Researching - If you’ve done your research and are aware of what is coming, then stop searching and start taking action, trusting you will be guided to make the best decisions. You will never have all the information or know all the insider information—no one can! We can easily convince ourselves we need more information when really, we are just procrastinating on taking action. 3. Trust Yourself - Reflect back on your life, consider the changes you have made, and the ways in which you dealt and thrived. You’ve done tough things before; you can do it again. Have faith in yourself and face change like the stellar person you are. 4. Remember the Journey - When you’re facing changes, sometimes all you can see is the significant benchmarks or the finish line. Look past those, consider the space and knowledge between all of those. You will learn new things, meet new people, and grow on that journey. Take your eyes off the finish line and focus on the new journey you get to go on. 5. Make an Effort - Making changes is not a passive process. You have the ability to make an effort, contribute, and actively work to make the best of every situation. Making an effort, even when you are afraid of what is to come, will allow you to have a say in how things go. You owe it to yourself to live your best life. Fear is a real thing, but it’s not always the monsters under our beds that we fear the most. Our fear is usually the inability to know how life will turn out. The next time you find yourself paralyzed by fear, stop and take a few moments to think through what you have to offer the situation and how you can make the most of it.  Day to day life can be all-consuming. The minutia of our days defines our schedules while we allow our brains to operate on autopilot. Sometimes the need for a change from this continuous cycle is right in front of us, screaming for our attention, but we continue to miss the signs that life throws at us. Keep reading for 5 signs that you are probably missing or misreading about making a change. 1. You Think About It You can't stop dreaming about a different job, a different home, a different anything probably means you should take the time and steps to make that thought a reality. 2. You’re Bored or Overwhelmed Is your job or day-to-day life utterly tedious or completely overwhelming? Neither is good for your health. Consider what steps you need to take to either make your day more exciting or to bring it down a notch or two into the tolerable territory. 3. You Need to Strengthen Your Weak Points Are you racking up gold stars in all of the areas you know you are good at, but still have weak points that you can’t seem to improve on? If this is the case, you should consider what changes you should make that will force you to overcome these weaknesses. This may mean taking on a new project at work or maybe looking for a new job entirely. 4. You Feel Undervalued Spending your days working hard only to feel like no one notices is a buzz-kill. Don’t allow your self-worth to be dictated by others in this manner. Start making changes to either show others that they should be showing appreciation or look for work (or friends) that will show their appreciation for you. 5. No Joy Everyone needs joy in their life. If there is absolutely nothing in your day, at home, or at work, that is sparking joy for you then you need to find the joy. This may be starting a gratitude journal to realize what good exists in your day, or it is time to look for work or passion projects that will allow you to spark joy in your own life. Change is something that everyone needs at some point in their life. However, knowing when you need to make those changes can be challenging to pinpoint. Sometimes we are so caught up in the day to day that we overlook the obvious - we need to change. Stop and listen for the daily hints that it is time to change. |
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