7 Strategies for Coping with Change
Yes, change happens; it’s inevitable and part of the process of living. Few things remain the same. Change can be positive or negative. The only thing you can do is to learn how to cope with it and build up your self-knowledge to manage it when it appears.
Yes, it’s scary because change is fraught with unknown factors. It’s usually fear of the unknown that throws us off-kilter. The challenge is to figure out which concerns are real and which fears have no merit.
Harnessing your personal power and personal courage to seek out and discern the changes you want in your life can be like wrestling a slippery “beast” -- difficult to pin down. Get clear on your capabilities and motivations.
Imagine being able to skillfully manage change with confidence. There are steps you could put in place to accomplish that goal, but it requires introspection, impartial assessment of situations, action strategies, assembling resources, support systems, and persistence. Imagine creating a new future for you.
Here is the secret; people who have self-knowledge also have greater self-confidence. You need confidence to calmly and skillfully manage change. When you have high self-esteem and self-confidence, you can face new challenges and risks with an open mind. Work on understanding your motivations to do things that direct you towards reaching your dreams and being the person you want to become.
Roadblocks can keep you at the status quo and changes may appear in all areas of your life. Here are seven strategies for coping with change:
- Face life with clarity. When you’re vague about what an area in your life should look and feel like, it’s a roadblock to success. To recognize success, you must clarify it and give it an explicit definition.
- Muster up some passion. Want something badly enough, it’s likely going to happen, if you work for it. How badly do you want your relationship to work or to be a success at your job?
- Create a plan for the future. Any plan you make for the future has a chance of failing, but there is also the prospect of success. Go ahead and plan and meet the obstacles with determination to go on.
- Patience is a requirement. It may take a while for your well thought-out plans to start working. In the process, you may become impatient and become less understanding or forgiving when you take a step backward. Be patient.
- Be consistent. You’ll never be able to figure out the problems that are sure to surface with change without a consistent approach or philosophy. Begin small and assess each problem or roadblock with the knowledge you’re gaining along the way.
- Never give up on yourself and your dreams. When you give up, you’re setting in motion the end to everything you wanted. Don’t take failure as a final answer. Instead, make it a stepping-stone to success.
- Set reasonable priorities. Thinking you’re too busy with other areas of your life to work for the success you’re dreaming about in another facet can shoot down your plans. Make time for what you really want. Everyone has 24 hours in a day, as much as you can make your 24 exactly what you want.
The important thing is not to feel powerless when you come across an obstacle that seems too big or too complicated to overcome with your present knowledge.
You have the power to step back, get help, rethink and re-strategize your plan of attack. Remember change happens, it’s a part of life. Become firmly grounded in who you are and what you want to help you cope with change. Need help? Contact Brenda Goburn Smith.