Looking out over the lake it felt every bit like summer afternoon despite the date on the calendar. It felt more like June than mid-September. Kayakers and picnickers all seemed to be soaking in the last bit of the warm weather before the big change. A few trees have already started to hint that fall is about to settle in. Living in New England I enjoy the brilliant colors of fall. But even though change is sometime welcome, we can navigate it better in life if we have the right mindset.
5 Things to do to improve success navigating change:
1. Don’t wait.
Don’t wait until January, the 1st of next month, or even until next Monday. If there are things you need to change in your life, stop waiting. Begin with your very next decision or choose to carve out ½ hour tonight to consider your next step. Do something today that your future self with thank you for. Change and transformation is a journey. You get to choose when you’ll step over the starting line and begin becoming a better version of you. Why wait?
2. Get up with intention.
Fall means shorter days and darker mornings. Lately it’s been much darker when my alarm clock stirs me. When the world is dark and quiet and the sun hasn’t even decided to wake up yet, it becomes even easier to hit the snooze button. But, the pace you set in the morning will likely affect your pace throughout the day. Get up with a sense of purpose and act as though you have some place to be. Have you ever noticed how naturally we push ourselves when we have an appointment? Get up with that same intention. Every day you do have someplace to be – pursuing your purpose. It’s waiting. Whatever your season and purpose, wake up, get up, and choose to intentionally be in motion of pursuing it.
3. Check your filter.
Entering a season of change can be disconcerting. We readily remember the last time we tried and fell short. Learn from your miss-steps but refuse to hold yourself back because of them. It’s critical in a season of change to watch your self talk. We often hear “speak life,” meaning we should choose words that build up and are constructive rather than words that tear down and hurt. That also means speak life to ourselves. Don’t allow negative thoughts to play on repeat. Instead, replace negativity with possibilities. Catch yourself when you doubt yourself. Talk to yourself as though you’re your own coach.
4. Keep fear in check.
Change can be disconcerting. The unknown can be intimidating to say the least. With that, fear will rear its ugly head. When it does, remember your past success when doubt has tried to hold you back. If fear is attempting to divert you as you pursue change, don’t underestimate the power of prayer and the strength faith can give you in moments of doubt. No matter what change you face, remember that God is bigger!
5. Plan ahead.
The best way to impact a new day or week is to look ahead. Each night before you go to bed, read over your goals for the next day or the week ahead. Your goals are like a road map. When you read over them, it gives you a sense of direction. It will also remind you why you set your alarm clock when it goes off in the morning. Taking time to plan ahead makes it a bit easier to hit the ground running the next day. It also fuels your mind as you sleep so that your thoughts are ready for the new day when it arrives.
Your Turn:
I’m looking ahead to the change of seasons as a time to adjust my routine and embrace some personal change as well. I’ll be reminding myself of my goals at night so that I can get up each morning with intention. What about you? Are you in a season of change? If so, what will you do to be successful navigating change? Click to comment, I’d love to hear from you.
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If you enjoyed this post, here are a few others you might enjoy:
- 9 Things You Should Stop Doing
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- Why We Procrastinate and What to do About It
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