Change is not spooky!

Summary:

It's Halloween time, so I thought a quick video on fear of change would be appropriate!

As we move closer to the end of the year, I wanted to talk about one thing many people feel uncomfortable with - change.  

Have you ever had worry over changes in your job, house, relationships, plans, or expectations?  Me too.  That's how I got stuck with my first job out of college.

Have you ever been unsure of your job or place in life?  Ever wonder if there was something more true to your heart you could be working on?   I felt unsure if my first job was where I needed to be.  I wondered if I could contribute more to helping people, than to working a tech job I didn't love.  And I stayed in that job for five years.  FIVE YEARS!  That is a significant slice of time to not love what you are doing.  I needed to change?

 So how did I change my first job?

One of my mentors shared with me why we resist change.  Especially change that is good for us.  After understanding why I hesitated too make a change, I was able to better plan how I would jump into something more my style and me.

What are you hesitating on jumping from or to in your life?  If you want to make sure you do make a change, here are some ideas to help you out.

First, we can realize it manifests in three different ways:

1. Process Fear - The act of changing will suck
2. Outcome Fear - The grass will not be greener when we get there
3. Loss Fear - We will need to give up stuff we LOVE!

In order to get over these fears, you need to focus on what you gain from making the change.  Our minds our trained like ninjas to find all that is wrong, potentially life threatening, and bad in our worlds.  

By focusing on what is positive, we can help make things seem like less of a risk.  Unless your idea actually is dangerous.  Then please be responsible and do not wrestle that hungry grisly bear.  

Here are three questions you can use to reverse focus on the positive for each of the three fears! 

1. Process Gain - What will you learn by taking on your change?
2. Outcome Gain - What new experience will you have by making your change?
3. "Loss Gain" - What awesomeness will you gain by achieving this change?

Try this exercise with your big change, and notice how your feeling shift.  You will know you are on the right track if you start to feel excited for making the change.  

When you are changing too, be sure to plan reflection time so you can see if you need to course correct if things are not going to plan.  

By understanding our fears, and shifting our perceptions, I know you will find change is not as spooky or scary as it sometimes seems!  

You got this, so keep up the great work!