Change is a huge part of all our lives. It does not just occur in the workplace!

Change just goes on and on!!!

It starts when we move from our mother’s womb into the world, then we change from a baby, to a child, to an adolescent and then to an adult. It doesn’t stop there. We have relationships, we may marry, become a parent, win money or lose it, change career etc. 

We all have to live with uncertainty, transition and shocks. We buy new homes, we sometimes lose our home, we change our job and sometimes we lose it, we move to different parts of the country or even to different countries. We start new relationships and others end. People enter and leave our lives.  

No change is easy and most of us resist it. We like our world to remain constant. However, in order to cope with today’s world we need to be prepared for change and be able to respond to it.  

The most important thing is to recognise that you are in a period of change. Do not stick your head in the sand and remember that denial does not make the problem go away, in fact, it can make things a lot worse.

Initially change can feel as though everything is falling apart.  This can feel like dissolving, it can mean the end of the person you have been up until now. You may fight your feelings or try to recreate what you feel you are losing, or alternatively, you may jump immediately into something new. 

Actually, we need to face our fears and allow enough time to grieve for our loss. It can help to talk about things with somebody, your partner, a good friend, a counsellor or a life coach; somebody who can support and encourage you, enabling you to move onwards. 

Take time to think about the situation, take stock of the position you are in and then start to plan the way forward. Let yourself dream and think through imaginary scenarios until you clearly see the way forward. When you know what you want, start the process of working towards it. You may start down one road only to decide it isn’t quite right. Don’t fret about it, just start again and say to yourself you have learnt from the experience and then move onwards again. 

When you find your way, enjoy it, making the necessary improvements to make life even better. But remember your new found happiness is not necessary going to stay for ever. Security really comes from knowing how to deal with change. 

New beginnings and change are all around us – everything changes. We don’t act or look the same throughout our lives.  Growth and change bring challenges but they also bring exciting possibilities.