I teach on the topic of change management a lot and many times people equate change to big, life-altering experiences. Sometimes change does occur this way. It reminds me of a tv show I saw recently on HGTV House Hunters International. The person in the program was moving from China to try her hand at farming in Argentina. She sold most of her belongings and headed towards this new adventure. The person was a single American female who had lived in China for some time- her consultant practice brought here there and she had been very successful. Clearly this is a person who is used to big change and for her it was a natural thing. I watched the show trying to imagine a life where I moved from country to country and it was hard for me to step into that. I’ve moved a lot and it isn’t something I enjoy. In fact my guess is that most people would be challenged by this degree of change.
For me, the topic of change exists at a smaller level. I compare it to the Olympics. What is the difference between a gold medal winner and a silver medal one? Almost nothing- the smallest change can have the biggest impact- so when you’re thinking about change think about the Olympics. It’s easy to get stopped thinking something is too big to take on, however if you utilize a few change management strategies, you can start to make changes in a way that benefit you, lead to greater growth, and better outcomes in your life. One of my examples is eating more healthy. For me it’s not stopping to eat McDonald french fries, rather I wait until I got home to eat quinoa (or some other healthier choice). It’s not to say that I never eat French fries, but knowing that we are creatures of habit, it’s easy for that habit to become the norm and the consequences are ones I do not want.
Here are 5 tips to begin building your resilience to change;
1. Think big and start small. I want to run the full marathon next year. I just finished my 3rd half-marathon this year. I’ve been running now for almost 5 years so it’s a goal that I’m ready to take on. 5 years ago, I wasn’t ready. I’ve made many small changes along the way to get to this point, including the one I shared above about french fries. You have to start by thinking about what you want and then break it into smaller steps.
2. Give yourself time. 5 years is a long time and I am ok with that. We don’t always have that much time, especially if this is change that is occurring that we didn’t choose, like workplace change. Ways to create more time are to say no to certain things in order to have more time for yourself- whether that is about getting more sleep, time to plan out meals, or just time to plan if the change is something that will need some planning to implement.
3. Allow yourself to feel uncomfortable. This is a very important part of change because any change, good or bad, is going to create some discomfort. The newness of something will take time to adjust to. If it is a health related goal, your body will go through a transitional period and it may feel strange- stick with it. It gets better.
4. Embrace the change. You don’t have to love change, and you can stay focused on the positive aspects- remember your big picture! You need all of your energy working with you, not against the change. Remember the phrase “What you resist persists!”
5. Follow through and be consistent. This is the part where you put one step in front of the other and keep going. I read recently that the way to finish a full marathon is one stride at a time. Anything that we set out to do or change in order to have the results we want, takes consistency and commitment. Stay with it! Keep going- you’re worth it.
I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment sharing the changes you’ve made or possibly one that you might be making. What are some strategies that work for you? Let’s make a list of “best practices” regarding change.