Habits are rather “small“ but efficient changes in our lives. We will be also confronted with some situations, which require greater changes. Even if it is not comfortable for us we are forced to make the one or other decision.
When you are about to make a change it will be firstly very uncomfortable for you, because you will be confronted with your person. This can evoke deep-routed fears and can be hurtful. Just imagine you are working in a job, which is pushing you to the limit mentally and physically. You have a family to feed but also a partner who is wishing more implication from you side. You are struggling with yourself to change the job but there are also first doubts: „ What if I do not find a job with a similar remuneration? If I change how sure can I be that I am not dismissed? We are in the middle of the financial crisis, what if I cannot stay at the new job until retirement? What if the new job is even more stressful? If this happens will my partner still stick to me? – The best I stay at the old workplace. First of all you have to make it conscious that every change brings a price to pay – like in trading – the new against the old. Every change brings a farewell. Easier to say than to do!
The more you try to avoid a change you will come into a blind alley and you will be forced to make a decision (even if you may hope that a wonder is happening over the night and everything solves on its own). How can you set a change into motion?
Not only a strong will can help you to set a change into motion but also your feelings. Thinking positively motivates us a lot otherwise we cannot come into action and cut down the process of change. A good example may be: „On my new workplace I will have the possibility to learn new things.“ or „I am excited to grow my professional network“. A good hint is to prepare theoretically for the change. You can accomplish that by speaking to yourself. Imagine it like an inner monologue in which you express your hopes and positive facets of your change. You project the consequences of your change (travel to future) and draw mentally a picture o fit. Do it as detailed as possible! This will evoke positive emotions inside you, which can be powerful motivators over the entire process of change. Remember this picture all the time you doubt about the change or feel down over the process of change. The question „who do I like to be?“ helps you also to prepare for the change. You can go through the entire change process in your mind and anticipate barriers and find solutions for them. It is very very very helpful to have people around you who support and motivate you through the entire process of change.
Literature:
- Johanna Müller-Ebert: Wie Neues gelingt. Die vier Schritte zur Veränderungskompetenz (Kösel Verlag, München 2014)
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