Do you feel like hyperventilating when there is considerable change going on around you and even more so when it directly impacts you? Yep, that is normal – it happens to most of us. What if, though, change brought you opportunities unimaginable? Everyone experiences change at some point in their lives and how we confront or manage that change can be life changing.
I have experienced lots of change in my personal and professional life. Till this day, change makes me somewhat anxious. However, I have learned to embrace it and open to seeing where the detour takes me. Best-selling author Steve Gilliland, says we should remain open to the many opportunities change brings. Some of those opportunities include meeting new people, building new relationships and developing new ideas. Here are some tips to help deal with change:
Tip #1 - Embrace it!
Whether you are an entrepreneur, entrepreneur in the making, recent graduate, employee or leader, don’t let the fear of the unknown paralyze you. Instead, recognize it, embrace it and let it empower you. Remember that each change will be loaded with opportunities to learn.
Knowledge stays with you forever and even if it does not seem useful in that specific moment, it probably will at some point in the road ahead.
Is it easier said than done? Yes, absolutely. Who said success was easy?!
Tip #2 – Shift your Mindset!
You have probably read or heard somewhere that the mind is incredibly powerful. It is. Our mind can make or break us.
Therefore, you must shift your mindset from thinking obstacles to opportunities.
While it is not easy to control the million thoughts that flood us when confronted with change or the choice to change our trajectory, there are several things we can do to manage our thought process.
Identify the thoughts you want to change, accept unwanted thoughts (and discard them if not useful), meditate and be open to new perspectives. One of my favorites is to listen to positive thinking podcasts and talking it out with someone I trust to give me their honest opinion. Other suggestions to shift mindset include using guided imagery and writing about your thoughts and feelings, or something completely unrelated.
Tip #3 – Be Thankful!
Not all change will result in a happy ending. It will though, add a new layer of resiliency that will help you manage change more effectively in the future. Change may also present you with positive and fulfilling adventures once unimaginable.
So, regardless of the outcome, be thankful to those who helped you navigate through change. Being thankful helps see the positives even when change seems bleak.
And, on that note – I want to take this opportunity to thank my son Fernando; Leo, Linda, Tammy, Sandra, Chy, Adrian, Vanessa, Henry, Frank, Araceli, Gerson, Karla, Jorge, Hennither, Kimberly, FHI, Sherri and my mother for making the recent changes in my life a bit smoother.
If are navigating through change in your organization or in your career, Intentional Solutions can make your journey through change much smoother, let’s chat.
