One of the hardest things to do with our careers and lives is change.
We usually THINK we can change. We point to places in life we have changed. Sadly, we usually miss how much of our life is the same old same old for years or decades – even things we should want to change.
Let's face it, it's hard to change. At the same time, in this changing world and in this altering job market, change is vital. I ended up moving cross-country for my career – trust me, I know change.
Also, let us be honest, change is difficult, challenging, and disrupting. We don't WANT to change, especially if we've got good routine going or feel comfortable. Many of us in fact have had our fill of change, thank you very much.
Still, change isn't going away. My advice? Practice change.
Change becomes easier if we're used to it, just like any other thing. It becomes easier to do if we practice it, like a skill.
You can practice change in two ways.
First is what I call, "practice changes." Make small, deliberate changes to your life – go a different route to work for a week. Take your dialy vitamin and lunch not breakfast. Move your laundry day forward or back one day for a month. Go forth, do, and hold to little changes. You can always change back if it was a bad idea – but those things you keep let you practice change.
Secondly is what I call "continual change", which is usually self improvement. Make long-term plans to change, stick to them, measure them (such as your weight, amount of books read, etc.), and write them down. Keep a self-improvement notebook on your improvements and goals to monitor them and see when the change is complete. This helps you measure and make serious changes – and lets you keep constantly growing.
(And as a note the self improvement notebook I think of as a companion to the Brainstorm Book I write about so often).
Practice changing. When you get used to it AND make it part of your life, it'll be easier.
Because the world is not going to stop changing. We however can take advantage of it and get good at it.
– Steven Savage