Change is our constant companion
Change is our constant companion, a fellow traveller throughout our lives. Yet, despite our familiarity with it, we often don’t enjoy it very much. You may know the saying, ‘the only constant is change’, a pithy quote from the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Despite the 2539 (or so) years since he wrote this, it is more apt than ever.
The world is shifting on its axis and we’re all facing big transitions in work and life. Sometimes these are through choice, but mostly we don’t have much say in the matter. Most of us tend to run from change or fight it. We rarely embrace it. The philosopher Alan Watts believes the only way to deal with change is “to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
So, instead of aiming a Karate kick at change, why not partner up with it and tango? There is no way round it, only through it, but which side of the challenge/ opportunity line we land on is within our gift. What we can control is our mindset about the changes we face in our lives.
Navigating change does take energy though. As Kakuzo Okakura writes in The Book of Tea, “The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” We are creatures of habit and love our routines and often fear the unknown, preferring predictability and control. Change often arrives in waves which can feel overwhelming, making it difficult to process, which delays our decision making and impacts how we commit to action (or not). One of the biggest challenges we face is not having the resources in place to support us. This can make a hill feel like a mountain.
Perhaps this is you? Maybe you’re going through a transition in life such as career change, or redundancy. Or the ‘work’ part of your work-life-balance is overshadowing the ‘life’ part. Do you need to re-calibrate and focus more on your wellbeing? Your challenge might be knowing where to start. Or the start was great but then you ran out of energy or motivation. So, how can you make friends with change — what can you do to embrace it? What is the best way for you to navigate change?
The first thing you need to do is to figure out your why and your where. Ask yourself WHY do I need to change and WHERE do I want to end up. This also applies if this is something you haven’t chosen.
Now focus on the size of the change. WHICH is it — small, medium or large? Also check WHICH type of change you feel most comfortable with — how risk averse are you or do you love change? Now check if these two fit together — does the size of change project fit with the way you deal with change? There are things you can do if they don’t align very well.
Next I’d suggest you differentiate between the WHAT and the HOW of the change you’re going through. Is it the WHAT (what I’m doing) that needs to change or the HOW (how I’m doing it) that you need to adapt? For example, if it’s a career change you want to make, do you want to change from accountancy to marketing (the WHAT). Or is it HOW you’re working e.g. spending too much time in meetings, working in groups (perhaps you’d rather work alone). Maybe you have little control over the activities you do and would like more agency over the tasks you work on.
Then think about the WHO and WHEN — the people that might be able to help support you in this shift process and when you will be starting to take action.
The final step you can take is not just to evaluate your progress through HOW MUCH you’ve achieved, but also think about HOW WELL you’re doing it. Let’s say you have taken up running. Most of us would focus on how many miles we’ve run or how long we’ve managed to keep going without walking. This is useful, but it leaves out some of the more subtle changes that might be taking place. You could also focus on HOW WELL, including your sleep, your complexion, your reduction in stress levels etc.
If you’d like more support on managing a transition in your life, then you might like to join the next cohort in the Navigating Change group coaching programme which starts on the 3rd June. This is a live video-conferencing based course which you can do remotely. It offers a cost effective way of receiving support and guidance to help you make sustainable changes in your life. You can read more about it here.
Charlotte Sheridan (Housden) is a Chartered Coaching and Occupational Psychologist who runs group and individual coaching for people navigating change. She has written a book called Swim Jump Fly: A Guide to Navigating Change based on two years’ of research interviewing 108 people in 27 countries about how they successfully navigated sustainable change.
