New Beginnings
Well, would you look at that. If you are reading this article, then it means you have officially made it to the start of a brand new year. The year 2023 has gone out through the window and now it is the start of a new year. The fact that you made it through another year means that you are strong and resilient, because as you and I both know, each year has its own unique set of challenges. Thus, because you made it this far, I want to celebrate you.
Speaking of a new year this month on the blog, our focus is on “New Beginnings” and how to deal with change when it comes our way. One thing which we can all agree on, is that, change is certain in life. Thus, in this blog, you will learn about the importance of change and the four (4) things a person must do when they sense that change is on their doorstep.
This topic of change is so important and relevant to all of us regardless of our age. Whether you are a recent high school graduate who is about to start a new journey by entering college; or you have just completed your tertiary studies and now about to embark into the world of work; or whether you are a soon to be spouse, change is all a part of the journey of life and that’s why we must know what to do when it comes our way, so we can healthily adapt to it.
Over the holiday season, the words “change” and “new beginnings” have constantly been on my mind. One reason for this, may be due to the fact that, I was highly enticed when I read the book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr Spencer Johnson. This book focused on how to deal with change. Another reason for this may also be due to the fact that some of my close friends were going through a season of major change in their life. In fact, one of my closest friends recently started her journey in college in a completely different country, which she expressed has been a major adjustment in her life. While on top of that, I too am about to enter into a season of major adjustment in my life, as I complete my tertiary studies with the intentions of transitioning into the world of work.
Whether you have already experienced some major change in your life, or you are currently going through a season of it, we both know that change isn’t always comfortable because it calls for us to reach beyond our comfort zone. That’s one of the reasons why many people do not adapt well to it, because it requires us to take a step into the unknown. It causes us to go in a direction which may be unfamiliar to us. That’s why being prepared for the arrival of change at our doorsteps is important. Change and new beginnings usually cause us to let go of the “illusion” of control which we previously thought we had. Where we were once comfortable with the ways things were, new beginnings call for us to make adjustments.
However, despite the mixed feelings which we may have towards starting a new chapter in life, there are many benefits.
Here are a couple of benefits which we must consider:
1. Change shows us how much better life can get, if we move with it
The thing about change is that if we learn how to adapt well to it, we can be led and pointed in a direction towards something that we never thought was even possible. Simply stated another way, change provides the opportunity for us to explore new horizons. Jim Rohn said it best, “if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got”. The thing about change is that it provides a gateway to something new. It helps us to chart a path in a new direction.
I’ve heard numerous stories of person’s who turned major changes in their life, that were initially uncomfortable and discouraging, into huge successes. For example, I have heard stories of persons who were laid off from their jobs during unexpected moments. Nonetheless, after navigating through the initial feelings of disappointment caused by the change, they sought out ways to turn it into a stepping stone opportunity for them, by embarking into the world of entrepreneurship and starting their own businesses. Years later, most of these individuals have expressed how being laid off was probably one of the best things that happened for them, because it provided the opportunity to explore new horizons and thus it has even shown them how much better life could be. If they had chosen to stay at the previous job, they never would have known of the great privileges which come with being an entrepreneur or starting a new career.
Now, I am not saying that all change is necessarily good or will necessarily lead to all great outcomes. But I am saying, most times, depending on how we choose to respond to change, we can experience amazing things that we never thought were possible.
2. Change helps us with innovation and growth
During the year 2020, when the world was being severely impacted by the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, I had to learn how to adapt to change there and then.
Not only were schools and businesses closing down, but also the ability to interact freely with other individuals was impacted. There and then we were challenged to embrace technology and other forms of digital media. Life ever since that year, has never been fully the same. Nonetheless, the good thing is, during that period of time, as the world was closing down and as I had more free time on my hands, I decided to get creative and learn a new skill. I also decided during that time to start a digital ministry which grew to reach many lives in various parts of the world. In other words, the changes that were brought about due to the Covid-19 pandemic, helped to stimulate my creativity and growth and this is often what happens in the face of change. Changes and new beginnings in life provide us with the chance to get creative and develop new skills.
3. Change helps us to develop courage
As stated previously, change often causes us to have to explore new horizons and to step outside of our comfort zone if we want to keep growing. The thing about exploring new horizons and exiting your comfort zone is, we are not fully sure as to what may happen at any given moment. Something unexpected may arise while trying to adjust to change.
But, the good thing about that is, it helps us to develop our courage and tenacity. The only way that you can develop courage in your life is if you rise to the occasion and do the things which often causes you to feel afraid, uncertain and unsure. You won’t just get a courageous character by simply wishing and hoping for it. Rather, you have to lean in a little more and step forward in the moments of greatest uncertainty and fear; and new beginnings often provide that opportunity for us.
4. Change shows us who we truly are
Another benefit to change (depending on how we look at it) is, it exposes and reveals to us who we truly are. For some people when change comes, they fight, resist it and complain about it, refusing to ever move forward. For others, they may initially be hesitant and resist the change, but after some thought, they realize the importance of moving forward. While, in other cases some persons may be completely unfazed by the change because they predicted it was coming. They were prepared and thus, when the time came they moved forward without any hesitation. The benefits of this is that change shows us where we are at, and it reveals to us the areas in our life which we must grow in.
With these benefits in mind, here are 5 things to do, when you sense that change is on its way to your doorstep.
1. Get up and take a look in the mirror- In other words, take a moment to reflect and look back over the season of your life that you have been in, which you sense may be soon coming to a close. The truth is, no chapter of our life lasts forever, that’s why it is important to reflect over the previous season so that we can cherish the good times. Furthermore, after we have reflected on the good times, we should also reflect on the challenging and the not so good moments, so that we can glean lessons from those experiences which we can take with us into the future. See what lessons you can take with you from the last season of your life into the new upcoming one that can guide you. When you take a look into your life’s mirror, it allows you to see the reality for what it is, and it guides you into the next step which is to “prepare for the change”, because as the old folks always say, “nothing lasts forever”.
2. Get dressed and put on your running shoes- In other words, when you sense that change is on its way, put preparations in place so that you aren’t caught off guard. Remember, you want to move with the change and not against it.
Change is inevitable and it is going to come to your doorstep regardless. It’s much like your friend who keeps coming to your house unexpectedly even after telling them several times to stop popping up at your home unexpectedly without first calling. Lolll!!
That’s why you have to get up, get dressed and put on your running shoes, so that when change appears on your doorstep, you are ready to move with it. Part of the getting dressed process may look like: learning new skills or preparing for job interviews if you sense that a change may be coming in your career; learning how to be more responsible and make wise decisions on your own if you sense a change may be coming as you transition from school to college; learning how to communicate better and work well with other people if you sense a change may be coming in your relationship status; or even choosing to learn about financial literacy or investing a greater portion of your income if you sense that a change may be coming in your finances.
Whatever area of your life, you must get up and get dress because as Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
3. Stay hydrated and have adequate amounts of water- Just as water hydrates you and energizes you when you are walking/exercising, I need you to keep your inner passion alive, because that is what will fuel you and energize you as you step into the unknown. It is quite easy to lose steam or even become discouraged when going through the process of change, because our fears will often try to distract us by trying to get us to go back into our comfort zones. Our fears may even draw us to a place where we complain and focus on the past. But you must remember and keep at the forefront of your mind what it is you desire - ie, the outcomes you are longing for. As was stated previously, change provides the opportunity to explore new horizons. So I need you to know what it is you are looking for along the journey. Simply stated another way in the book, “Who Moved My Cheese”, always have a visual in your mind as to what new “cheese” would look like for you.
4. Do your stretches- Just before any intense exercise, stretching is vitally important because it allows us to keep our muscles flexible and strong. Likewise, to become flexible when change comes our way, we must not fight against or resist it. We must not put up any mental barriers or seek to complain about the change when it comes, because those things would prevent us from adapting well. When change comes your way, don’t fight against it because you will only tire yourself out. Rather, have an open mind to the new possibilities and things you can learn in this new season of your life.
5. Move full speed ahead with the change- Finally, when change has reached your doorstep, just move forward, full speed ahead with it and don’t look back because the horizons you reach, will be far better than where you were previously.
