Change is a dread all of us feel many times in our lives. Whether it’s changing a job, dating someone new, or graduating school, change comes during all phases of life. No one can control change or prevent it from coming, but we can control how we approach change. It just takes a focused mind and some practice. Let’s think through a few examples together.
You’re at work. An email comes through telling you about some new software that is being rolled out. You LOVE the old software, but your bosses don’t like it and decided to get rid of it. It’s pretty easy to get upset or just rebel against it altogether. Who needs the new software? You’ll be more productive anyway, right? Maybe, but maybe you’re missing out on a feature you didn’t know existed. Maybe you can spend even less time on this new software, even if it seemed difficult at first. But how can you know unless you commit to it? Here’s a hint, you can’t.
You just graduated high school. Maybe you had a great time in school, maybe you hated it, maybe you are indifferent. Regardless, maybe you’re nervous about college because you’ve heard of the long papers you’ll have to write, the long chapters you’ll be required to read, the new friends you’ll have to make. It can be daunting. But what is the benefit of avoiding the change and sulking into the past? While that may be a natural reaction, making a conscious decision to dedicate yourself to this new life can have irreplicable benefits. Those new friends you just made, they’re your friends for life. That knowledge you forged, that’s the basis for the job you’re about to earn. None of which would be possible without a commitment to change.
You just had a brilliant idea. This new business could make it BIG. Or, it could fall on its face. Here’s the catch. You need to quit that cushy job with reimbursed travel, lots of free happy hours, and a great set of coworkers. Interested? Maybe, maybe not. A big part of the hesitation is not wanting to deal with the change. Change in lifestyle, change in people around you, etc. But without embracing change, you could be forgoing an even greater sense of purpose in building something from the ground up and creating a new team that will do great things. All foregone because of that pesky resistance to change.
Would we have different reactions to these circumstances if any details changed? Unfortunately, probably not. Change, though initially painful, is the breeding ground of all progress and growth. The next time you find yourself in a state of resistance, remember that the next best version of yourself is just beyond the horizon of revolution.
Running Roamer 