7 steps to handle new change in life (Part 2) – lessons from the book “Who moved my cheese?”

Continuing from the previous post, where it introduced the premise of the book and listed the 7 steps in the process of handling changes in life. In this one we will go through each one on them individually. 

(Click here to read Part 1)

 

You are getting surprised by change only if you aren’t expecting it.

I. Change happens

This is the first thing that we need to keep in mind that no matter what you do there will always be changes happening around you. Change is the only constant in life. It is natural for change to occur continually in your life. It doesn’t matter if you expect it or not. You are getting surprised by it only if you aren’t expecting it. If you haven’t been looking out for it.

Sometimes you hang on to things due to nostalgia and old memories. They seem familiar and give you comfort. You do that even when they are no longer good for you. This prevents you from observing and expecting any changes.

You settle down in your comfort zones, which makes it very difficult to adapt to any change.

II. Anticipate Change

So, it becomes imperative to be prepared and expect and anticipate change. 

One of the problems we face in the way to progress is that you stop noticing the changes happening around you. This also prevents you from anticipating and predicting any issues that might arise due to these changes. You settle down in your comfort zones, which makes it very difficult to adapt to any change.

Look for the positive outcomes from the change.

Your focus has to be on the things which would change for better. Look for the positive outcomes from the change. See the advantages and gains that you would get from it. Imagine and see yourself enjoying the results of the positive outcome.

Looking for new opportunities does not necessarily mean a complete change of scene. If the change you are after is a relationship, then it could also mean a change in the way you handle commonly unfavourable situations. You don’t have to give up on the relationship and look for someone new. If it about a change in your job situation, again it could be a change in the way you look at the tasks and how you handle them, instead of looking for a new job. 

If you haven’t been noticing the small changes, they then catch up upon you as big changes.

III. Monitor Change

An important step you need to take towards this is to start monitoring the changes. You need to start noticing the smaller changes occurring all around you in your daily life. This helps you to adapt for the much bigger changes that would ultimately arrive. If you haven’t been noticing the small changes, they then catch up upon you as big changes. This takes you by surprise. Then you are completely unprepared to handle them. 

Trust your instincts. Go with your gut feelings. Let them lead you forward.

Mostly you are reluctant to do this is because you feel comfortable in your current situation. You believe that it can get much better than this. But there are always better opportunities and outcomes available. This does not depend on whether you believe that or not. It just helps if you realize that and start your journey towards it. To do that you need to get past your fears. Start enjoying that journey and treat it like a new adventure. 

Even if you are unsure and scared of what lies ahead, you need to trust your instincts. Go with your gut feelings. Let them lead you forward.

It is your beliefs that restricts you from adapting to change.

IV. Adapt to change quickly

The longer you wait and ponder over moving, it gets more difficult to make a move. By the time you start there are more competitors in line ahead of you.

It’s your belief systems, which you have developed through your experiences in life. These belief systems take over your minds and clouds your thought process. This prevents you from taking good and timely decisions. It also makes you reluctant to go after things.

Mostly it is your beliefs that restricts you from adapting to change. Changing and challenging your old beliefs will encourage you towards acquiring new behaviour. Continuing to believe in your old beliefs does not help in finding new opportunities.

Overanalysing things can make them more complicated. It can paralyse you and stall you from taking any action.

Once your beliefs change, your behaviour starts to change too. You start doing things differently. Your belief evolves from imagining how your new outcomes are going to help you. This helps you accept and adapt to the new changes. It even helps you embrace it. This in turn gives you the courage and hope that you can achieve your new goals. 

You need to keep things simple. Overanalysing things can make them more complicated. It can paralyse you and stall you from taking any action. So as soon as the situation changes, you need to be swift in taking action. Overthinking and overanalysing the situation will eat away the precious moments needed for some quick action. Overcomplicating things can also create unreal fears. This would again hamper your path towards any changes. 

Ask yourself, what you would do if you weren’t afraid of the results and consequences.

V. Change yourself

To handle any change, you need to clear up your thought process. To motivate yourself and decide you need to ask yourself, what you would do if you weren’t afraid of the results and consequences.

You cannot expect things to get better until you have changed yourself.

You need to visualize your goals in great detail and have a clear picture in your mind. Try and paint a picture of what it is that would make you happy. How it would affect your life. 

You cannot expect things to get better until you have changed yourself. If you keep doing the things the same way as you have until now, you will keep getting the same results that you have been getting. 

Being able to laugh at your own mistakes gives you a better chance for making changes.

You need to also take yourself less seriously. You should be able to laugh at yourself. This would enable you to see more clearly what you have been doing wrong. Being serious all the time gives you the wrong sense of pride and blinds you from the reality. Being able to laugh at your own mistakes gives you a better chance for making changes. It also makes you let go of the mistakes and find some progress.

Just having started and conquering your fears gives an even more powerful sense of happiness.

VI. Enjoy the new change

Part of the motivation is to remind yourself what you enjoy doing. Focus on the process itself and not on the ultimate results. Moving along and looking for new opportunities is what makes you feel alive and free again.

It’s not just achieving the goals and getting your results that makes you feel happy. Just having started and conquering your fears gives an even more powerful sense of happiness. It gives you new motivation and strength to move along even faster.

You imagine the situation to be much worse than how it eventually turns out.

You start to see that the situation isn’t that bad in reality. It is much better and easier than what you were fearing before starting. The fear was mostly just in your imagination. You imagine it to be much worse than how it eventually turns out. This is what was inhibiting you from going ahead and making a start in the first place.

Identify and realise your mistakes in your approach in the past.

VII. Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again

Even when you have now reached your goal and adapted to the new change you still need to have a retrospective mode. You need to identify and realise your mistakes in your approach in the past. Channelize these lessons into your future plans. 

It is always safer to be aware about the changes happening around you instead of slipping back into a new comfort zone.

You need to be prepared for even newer changes even after moving and having achieved your new goals. Even when you are happy with the new situation. You need to keep exploring more opportunities. Keep an eye on the small changes still happening around you. 

It is always safer to be aware about them instead of slipping back into a new comfort zone. This gives you better control over your circumstances. You can initiate the change while you are still in a relatively good zone. This would also not require you to be reactive and give you time to adjust to things at your own pace. This way you are being the master of your own destiny. You are creating your own future.