People hate change, right?
Change is scary! There is a world of unknowing when it comes to change.
The fear of change is why we may end up in the same job for too long or live in the same place for more years than we set out to. Time goes by so quickly that we often lose track of the years going by. It’s also easy to stay. It’s easy to just carry on how we have done and are used to.
But what if we made a change? And what if it actually made our life better in some way?
You may not even know you needed the change. It’s so hard to know what the ‘right’ thing to do is when things may just feel right. Having said that, something may also feel wrong but you are struggling to identify what needs to change.
As I write this, I think of my own career change that of course refers to a really big change in my life. But in the lead up to this, I made lots of little changes to my day to day life which eventually got me to where I needed to get to.
Sometimes, you need to make small adjustments that affect your daily living before you can make a larger change. And sometimes, you may not even need to make a larger change at all. Sometimes, all you need is to make little changes for you to see the difference and benefits.
So how can we encourage ourselves to step out of the comfort of routine? What can we tell ourselves so that we aren’t so afraid of change?
You need to think about what things you can change and what you can’t – what things are in your control and what aren’t. There is no point trying to change the things you can’t control.
We can break changes down. They can be daily, half daily, hourly if they need to be!
We have to be consistent with our new little changes. We cannot just try something once or twice and expect it to all be different.
We must be patient. The effects of change might not happen straight away. It may take a really long time to feel like you’ve made the right decision. In fact, you have to give yourself a chance for the change to really make an impact.
You have to face and accept thoughts of regret, guilt and anxiety. This always comes with change – have I made the right decision? What have I done? Why don’t I feel better yet? Accept and acknowledge these thoughts and feelings but don’t give in to them until you’ve given yourself enough time to settle in.
And remember:
At the time of making the change, it felt like the right thing to do. Therefore, you cannot regret what decision you have made. You made it for a reason and that reason was suitable for that moment in time.
Make a change that is right for YOU. If it feels wrong, then it may not be the right answer.
Change isn’t permanent! If you try something new and it doesn’t work out, it’s okay!
Do I still think about the big change I’ve made in my life? YES. All the time. But when I think about my life now and how happy I am, I know I’ve made the right decision for me right now. Who knows where I’ll end up in the future. I love what I do now but I also miss being in a classroom! Was it a scary decision? Absolutely. But am I happy with my change? YES!
Check out Emma's page for more words of wisdom and advice: www.emmayentis.com
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