I enjoy change! I know it’s something that makes me weird, but I embrace it. You see, I’m an improver at heart. I love to find ways to make systems, processes, and environments better. And I especially love helping people live into the best version of themselves through change.

Even though I love change so much I’ve literally written a book on it, change is still a challenge. It’s something that I have to work at and something my clients struggle with too. So for the next several weeks, we’re going to explore answers to the question: Why Is Change So Hard?

Our bodies are complex pieces of equipment that do a whole lot of things for us from providing a physical repository for all of our bones, muscles, and organs all the way to breathing automatically and pumping blood so that all those parts keep on functioning.

Our bodies are designed to keep us safe, which is awesome in the wilderness when a threat is nearby, but it’s a whole lot less helpful when we’re trying to make change happen and drop those 15 pounds we gained during quarantine!

Our bodies basically give us only 3 options when faced with a threat (and more often than not, doing something new is considered a threat): Fight, flight, or freeze. As you can imagine, battling against change, running away from change, and doing nothing in the face of change aren’t overly helpful responses.

Especially if you want or need to actually change!

Know that your body is going to protest the new thing, at least at first. And be prepared for that response so you can move beyond it. And if you’re looking for more guidance, I am offering a Change Conqueror virtual workshop designed to help you tackle any change you want to make in work or life (whether you’ve chosen change or not!).

#PositiveAction You can make change happen. Take a deep breath. And do it again. In fact, keep focusing on your breath until your body has stopped freaking out in the name of safety! Yes!! You got this!

 

Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

Anyone else besides me feel like they’re swimming in ambiguity? There is a lot of unknown right now. As we get closer to the fall season and kick off our 6th month of hanging out at home, many things feel as uncertain as they were at the start.

We don’t know how long we’ll need to continue our physical distancing. We don’t know what the school year will look like or how it will work. We don’t even know what sports schedules will be!

Not knowing can be scary, but we don’t have to act out of fear.

We can choose to control what’s in our control. Here’s a few ways I’m approaching it. As for the distancing piece, I’m still scheduling virtual calls into the future. If instead we can meet in person and hug for a really long time, great! If not, I can control how connected I’m going to be.

As for school, I know that learning is going to happen and the most likely path includes an element of virtual learning. That was a challenge this spring, but we learned a lot and can adjust this fall as a result. I’m also working to create a little dedicated space for both my kids so that they can do their best work. I can’t wave my magic wand and build out a ton more space, but I can be smarter about where they are situated as well as how I schedule my days.

For sports… I’ve got nothing. We are instead using the time we would have spent spectating and doing other activities. We are making up our own holidays (a belated Merry Half Christmas to you all!). We are reading long books aloud as a family. We are singing and dancing to music. Basically, we’re making up our own fun.

Much as I would like to know exactly what’s next, I can’t see into the future. Both those facts were true BEFORE the pandemic started. So I’m choosing to control what little I can and let the rest go. What about you?

#PositiveAction Write down one thing that’s driving you crazy to not know. Then let it go in whatever way feels most satisfying.

Some ideas: Recycle it. Shred it. Burn it (safely!). Wrap it in duct tape. Glue it so it can never be opened again (can you tell I’ve been getting school supplies in order?!?). Bonus points for sharing what you did with me!  

 

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay