Making big changes – getting through the resistance

Are you facing a time of change or transition? Or would you like to be?

Changing your life doesn’t have to be complex. But you need to know how to transition. Whether you choose to make a great leap forward in your life, or are being pushed by outside forces, change can be big and scary.

Perhaps you :

– Are wanting to expand your business you’ve been plodding along, working away, and now things are big enough for you to employ others. And that’s a big scary step.

– Can no longer stay in a relationship - he walked, or you walked or you want to walk. But emotionally you are stuck in yesteryear and moving on seems so scary.

– Are moving from corporate to self employed.- you’re done with corporate meetings and want to be your own boss. But that’s a big unknown world for you.

– Need to make a change in your career – you like the corporate world but need to move up or move on and you want it all to go smoothly.

– Want to make personal change – you’ve done some personal development work but there are some issues you still need to deal with. And you are stuck, as you, for mysterious reasons, can’t make this change. Even though you want to.

If you read any of these and something inside goes Aha!’ or, more tellingly, something in this list gives you the cold shivers, then pay attention for this could be your area of major change. And pretending it’s not there won’t help, it won’t go away.

So how to navigate you way through this business of change?

All change situations , whether business or career or life, involve practical know-how and steps that you can follow. And the first part of the change process for many people is gathering the information, making lists, ticking off things to do. And then you find the lists gather dust or get lost. The power for change evaporates even though the yearning for something different is still there.

If you have this feeling, you have just identified RESISTANCE TO CHANGE. And here are some steps for overcoming this resistance

1. Put all your lists in a safe place. You’ll need them when you get past the resistance.

2. Now forget about the lists. Instead, focus on why you want the change (if you want it) or what moving forward could do for you (if the change is not of your choosing).

3. Think about what you might be giving up that you really, really won’t miss, e.g. the routine work that you no longer want to do, his snoring, another pointless corporate meeting, the same unchallenging work with unchallenging people.

4. Invent lots of different possibilities for your future. Make them as silly and extreme as possible. In fact it is absolutely compulsory that your possibilities are at the far end of the possibility spectrum.

5. Now think of one tiny step that can take you towards that bright, shiny future. And do it.

And you have just broken through the resistance and have made a move into change. Congratulations and best wishes for your future from the True Courage Coach, your guide to change and transition!