By Jeff Whitaker
I don’t know about you, but the word change invokes a lot of different emotions in me. Sometimes, the thoughts of change are good. Other times, the idea of change can be scary. You know what I’m talking about. Change is coming and you don’t know what to expect. Have you noticed the last few days and nights? The days have remained relatively warm, but as the sun sets, the temperature turn crisp and cool. Change is literally ‘in the air’. You may love summer. Or maybe fall is your favorite time of year. It doesn’t matter. Either way, change is coming. We can’t stop it. So we have to prepare to adapt. When it comes to the season, we pull out the warmer clothes. We begin to turn off the air conditioner at night and it won’t be long before we turn on the heat.
Just like with the seasons, our lives are constantly going through change. Careers evolve or change. Relationships grow closer or drift apart. Our children grow up and family dynamics ‘change’. So, I guess the question I want to ask you today is this. Are you prepared and equipped for changes coming your way? Because change is inevitable. Three things to consider and be aware of as you think about change. First recognize where you are in any given situation or circumstance in your life. Second, get a vision of where you want to go and what it will look like. And third, recognize what it will take to get there and then equip yourself to make the journey. The reality is, you will always need to make adjustments along the way. But you have to start with a preferred ending and educated assessment of where change will take you.
I recently saw someone post on her Facebook page that she was in a ‘change kind of mode’. She wrote about intentionally making decisions to head in a deliberate direction of change. We’ve all heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. You want to see results in your life? Realize that some things, possibly a lot of things need to change. And you accomplish that by laying out a plan of growth. Whatever area or areas in your life you want to see change, pinpoint what it will take to see growth in that area. Ask yourself, what changes do I need to make in order to get to my preferred future? It’s all about being intentional. Embrace the change. It’s not as scary as you may think.
Jeff Whitaker is a lifelong communicator and storyteller. He is a certified trainer, coach and speaker with The John Maxwell Team. Jeff’s goal is to encourage excellence in individuals and corporations through leadership and communications training. Connect with him at jeffwhitaker.com, through The Jeff Whitaker Company on Facebook or @jeffwhitaker on Twitter.
