Change happens to everyone, but how you deal with it affects the outcome. You can make change as easy as possible or more difficult dependent on your approach. The simplest way involves three steps:
1) Accept that change is upon you. This is the first and often hardest thing to acknowledge. Change can creep up on you like ageing; orcome suddenly like Brexit did. We all get comfortable to varying degrees with where we are, what we are doing and who we are so that being blind-sided by life events occurs more often than we think.
When a change happens the response is I like it or I hate it. The thing is actually, my opinion is irrelevant. It makes no difference how I feel about it. Rain is rain, sun is sun, snow is snow and change is change. There is a reality that is present and acceptance makes the process of healthy change possible.
2) Own it or at very least take some responsibility.
Responsibility = Response + Ability.
We all respond to situations. It's the how that's important.
Giving away the ability to respond happens when you hear things like
She made me angry...
People in government are muppets... Things will improve when... (usually something way into the future and doesn't involve me doing any thing!)
Whatever the change event, I have responsibility for two things: my actions and my attitude. All of us have reflexes that act as short-cuts, like touching a hot stove gets me moving my hand quickly. In situations of change the reflex action is often wrong and the reflexive attitude is usually negative. Ownership is not a reflex.
Owning change does however involve the attitude that I have a part to play; and I can influence my environment whatever the circumstance.
3) Action- where the rubber hits the road. Ifyou get beyond ownership. Most of the time I get stuck in the paralysis by analysis. I can believe in ownership till the cows are ready for milking but taking action especially ones that need me to do something different istough.
The call of the status quo is a strong one. It's what I'm used it. It may be not what I like but at least it's familiar.
Taking contrarian action from a standing start is difficult because all of the momentum is going in the opposite direction. However different actions are the difference makers in navigating change.
Questions I ask the person in the mirror:
What is changing now, that I'm not recognising or wanting to accept ?
What is my response to the situation?
What's my attitude saying?
What helpful actions am I taking ?
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change ,the courage to change the things I can change and the wisdom to know the difference. ”