How many major changes have you experienced at work in the last 6 months?

• A different boss
• A different technology to be learned and utilized
• A job change
• Loss, relationships, direction, and many more.

I think of change as flying on a trapeze. Warriors of the Heart by Danaan Parry talks about transition occurring when we let go of the “old normal trapeze” we are merrily or not so merrily swinging.

When a change occurs you must jump to another trapeze to maintain success. It doesn’t matter how many times you have leapt from one trapeze bar to another with success. Concerns, fears and discomfort are at high levels when you are in between the trapeze bars; when you have let go of the old and waiting for the new bar to get close enough to grab on to. Just a few seconds that feels like a lifetime.

Let’s focus on how to make transitions successful with practical tools and choices.

1. Prepare for stress before it happens. Stress will be a “when” not an “if”. When stress hits, it’s too late to start exercising or fueling our body with better foods. Start now. First, begin some type of exercise to stimulate the endorphins in your brain and body. Secondly, start choosing foods that are powerful foods that burn fat fast and keep you healthy.
2. Control your thoughts about what you need and want, not what is going wrong. You are what you think about. Start with your thoughts when you retire at night. Begin thinking about what events or situations went well today; a minimum of three. Be thankful for those successes. It could be as simple as not running out of gas or as big as a major job change and the staff represent you. Think about the life that you desire.
3. Ask yourself what you have to gain with the emergent change. Ask yourself what you have to lose with this change. Ask yourself what you are afraid of. Ask yourself what you could do right now to make this better. These are good questions to help you begin focusing on facts not emotions.

These are three practical approaches you can control right now. Make the choice to prepare for healthy transition. Please contact us for more information on successful change management.