Stress and Change
People hate change.
So many people I know believe that this statement is true. However, the truth be known, people don’t hate change. Not all changes are bad or negative or stressful. Some changes are very positive, like winning the lottery (don’t we wish that we could all experience this kind of change more often). People may dislike the process of changing, but life requires change. They may dislike some of the results of these processes. What I do know, is that change is constant. Things are always changing and we will have to continually respond to these changes. Like it or not.
Does Everything Require Change?
I find all of this interesting in light of the start of a new year and National Be On Purpose Month. Many of us have taken the time to reflect on the past year’s events or our life until this point. We may have set some goals for the upcoming year based on these reflections. These goals all require changes to take place.
I know that people will only change when the behaviours that they have been using stops getting them the results that they want.
When we set our goals for the future and aim to be more on purpose with who we want to be, we need to see and feel the past as uncomfortable and realize that life requires change.
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Living On Purpose:
- Know Your Why. To reach your goals, you need to identify the reason for the change in the first place. What is the emotional ‘why’ for the change? It may to be that you are feeling out of shape, that you are lacking energy, that your doctor says that you are at risk, or that you are afraid of dying before your time. Maybe you hate the rut you are in or the job that you have. Sometimes it helps to write this why down and keep it available, because sometimes when we are in the midst of moving forward and the path becomes difficult, we may forget the reason for the change and give up on it before we get through it, what we don’t realize is that life requires change.
- Monitor What You Say And Think. Watch what and who you complain about. We are responsible for the decisions that we make, both the good ones and the bad ones. Complaining allows us to be a victim of our life. They become excuses for why we are where we are. You can’t change those decisions, nor does blaming others help us to move forward. So chose to chose. Chose the path that you want to take.
More Tips To Celebrate Living On Purpose:
- Delete Excuses. “Someone busier than you is….making it happen!” I like this quote. It gets rid of excuses. There are busier people out there who are achieving the kind of life that you want for yourself. When things don’t turn out the way we wanted or when we didn’t do what we said we wanted to do, it is not the end of the world. It is an opportunity to reset yourself and get back on track.
- Know You Are Not Alone. Tell someone what it is that you want to change. Find a buddy, a friend, a colleague, a coach, a mentor, a team … anyone who can be your cheerleaders as you go through the process of change. I have a great mastermind group who provides me with encouragement and a kick-in-the-pants when I need it. I have a professional association that provides me with answers and ideas to keep my energy going. We need these people in our lives to be there when we don’t think we can make it any further.
Is Change A Bad Thing?
Change is not bad and we don’t need to hate it. We can accept that we must continue to change and learn to rely on our personal strengths and our supports to get us through to the new reality. Whether the change you are making is a New Year’s Resolution or a life change to live more on purpose, always be kind to yourself.
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
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