Junior High seemed daunting, too much, too different, too foreign. I didn’t want to go. I drilled my sister, a year ahead of me in school, on everything related to Junior High. A full year had passed, she couldn’t remember. How could she do this to me? I need to know.
Three years later, I did not want to go to High School. It was too much, too different, too intimidating, too foreign. Again, I drilled my sister — no real answers. Three years later, I did not want to go to . . . Are you getting the picture? In my adult life, I moved nine times in 20 years. Change became a familiar pattern. Eventually, I learned this is life! I either needed to embrace change or lose my life in the resistance of change.
The start of the new school year brings change. Students headed to different campuses; mommas sending off babies to college; college graduates taking on full time positions in the professional world. Change is the content of life. Our bodies are changing. The earth is changing. Technology changes. When change comes our way, we can either cooperate and benefit or resist and feel defeat.
Think back to a time you resisted change. What happened once you surrendered to it? Recognizing that change is not the enemy, it’s simply part of life, helps us shift our approach. Choosing to look for the excitement and anticipate the new chapter, adjusts our attitude. With a new approach and a new attitude, now we can embrace change with a little introspection. Here are some questions you might find helpful. Grab a journal and thoughtfully sit with each question.
What’s changing that I am resisting?
Why am I resisting this new chapter?
What am I afraid of with respect to this change?
What’s the payoff for keeping things the way they are?
What’s the cost for keeping things as is?
What benefits might there be in this change?
What would I have to do to cooperate?
What’s the next step I could take to cooperate?
When will I take the next step?
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." ~George Bernard Shaw
If you are facing some change that is leaving you overwhelmed and uncertain, partner with a coach to get you set up for your next season. Contact me today at michele@lifebydesign.guru.