How to Deal with Change

July 23, 2017

Change. It’s the one constant in our lives, but yet something most people both fear and get excited about all in the same breath.

We have change in our working environment (new boss, new CEO, new office, new processes, new teams and so on), personal environments (new partner, new house, new school, new friends…), so you think we’d be used to it by now.

But most of us aren’t.

We are creatures of habit and as a result get comfortable with the status quo. And anything that moves us away from that is often viewed with hostility.

And yet, so many of us want change as well!

We want to look younger, feel healthier, be fitter, have more money, move to a better neighbourhood, be friends with celebrities (if that floats your boat) – but yet….. we get scared off by things that aren’t familiar.

The thing is this though. To do/be/have different things, you’re going to have to do something different from what you are currently doing.

It’s that simple.

Now here’s my advice on it. Something I tell all my clients.

Take baby steps.

!??!?!

Look, you might want to change that new job (that’s a big step), but your brain is not wired to accept change that easily.

It’s wired to the familiar patterns that you run in your life.

We all run patterns of familiarity.

From the route we walk to work, how we brush our teeth, even what trouser leg we put on first.

And that’s where I start with people.

Yes, with the way they put on their trousers (or underwear).

Do you put the same leg through each time.

Think about it.

Really, think about it.

Start to interrupt that pattern of habitual behaviour.

Sure, it’s going to feel weird at first. Alien. Uncomfortable.

Your brain will go into a bit of a crazy loop about it.

But…

It will get used to it.

It will get used to feeling uncomfortable. And that’s the point.

You must get comfortable with the uncomfortable. With the change.

By doing this (swapping the leg you put in first), or perhaps changing the route to work, or your usual cup of coffee, or any number of habitual patterns you run you’ll do the following:

Get your brain comfortable with change and form new neural pathways in the brain
Recognise other patterns you run in your life unconsciously as you become more mindful of your day to day activities
You’ll learn something new about yourself. Like, the world doesn’t end if you put your trousers on the other leg first. Or a new coffee shop on the alternative route to work.

It’s win-win-win.

Change is inevitable. We can’t really control change. We are all part of a larger system in that respect.

But we can control change in our immediate environment and use it to get comfortable with change. And by starting small, we can then build up so that changing that job, or partner or career doesn’t feel so overwhelming and scary.

What do you think?

Leave your thoughts below.