Change is the only constant in life, along with death and taxes. So why do we fear it so much? We often see change as something negative or risky, failing to see that it is also a great opportunity. How would you feel if you reframed it as “there is no growth without change”?.
Why We Need to Embrace Change
We grow through facing challenges and handling them in creative ways. Whether it brings short-term advantages or disadvantages, in the long term, each change is just one step in our development.
In addition to the opportunities it offers, change also presents a challenge to your skills. To be successful in business, you must be flexible and adaptable. Your negative limiting beliefs tell you this is bad because it’s a shift away from the ordinary, and the comfort that this brings.
How you meet these challenges can determine how you meet the next one. You’ll have a list of successes you can draw on for motivation when you face the next obstacle.
Embracing change and seeing it as something positive is essential for cultivating a success mindset. There are specific techniques you can employ to help you make this shift.
Make a List of Successes and Positive Changes
Go back over big changes you’ve faced in the past. Look at how they impacted you. You’ll find a few that you wish would never have happened. But most likely, the majority ended up benefiting you in some way in the long term.
Write down a list of the positive results of changes and successes you’ve had meeting them. Refer to this list whenever you find yourself facing a new challenge you’re not sure you can overcome.
Predict and Prepare
Sudden unexpected change is shocking. So, take a proactive approach and get ahead of any potential challenges you might face. Set aside time regularly to strategize. Consider anything that might happen and develop a plan to deal with each contingency. When there is a big change, even something negative, you’ll be able to face it prepared and with confidence.
Banish Your Inner Critic
Get rid of negative self-talk and limiting beliefs that are destroying your confidence. We each have an inner critic who tells us we can’t do it. When you’re facing a sudden change, it’s a perfect situation for this inner critic to come along and derail you.
This is a bad habit of thinking and like any other habit, you can break it and replace it with another. First, learn to recognize when you’re doing this. Create some positive affirmations that you can use to combat it. Learn to rephrase negative thoughts into positive ones.
Surround Yourself with Positive People
How we feel about change is an essential part of our mindset. The way we think rubs off on others, so surround yourself with people who are a success and growth-minded and approach change positively. You can draw on their positivity for inspiration whenever you need it.
Look at the Big Picture
Change is usually just a tiny pothole in the road. It means you might have a tough time this week, this month, or this quarter. But if you look at the big picture, you will often see that this change opens the door to new opportunities. When you reframe how you look at the change you'll find how you deal with your challenges also changes.
