Side Swiped by Change?

photo credit: BugMan50 via photopin cc

I’ve been consistently in a state of transition for the past year. Not by conscious design, but more by the acceleration of progress through my goals. Oh and a little by accident. This has meant that there has been a swirling feeling of change going on around me. Almost like I’m changing faster than I even realize.  Maybe it’s happened to you. One day you just go, “Oh wow! When did that happen?” or “That wasn’t like that before.”

You may be wondering, “Then how does change start?”

From what I’ve learnt, what I’ve experienced in my own life and seen with my clients...

Change Kicks Off in Three Ways – see which has happened to you recently.  

1.     We decide 
Once day you just say I want this in my life or want to achieve this and you do it. This often happens when people say, “I want a new career. I’m going to search what else is out there.” Or you do the opposite and decide you don’t want something in your life and you make the change. Ex, “I don’t want to carry around this extra 20 lbs anymore. That’s it! I’m hiring a trainer.”

For me, I wanted to run an online coaching program and have a consistent weekly blog, so I did. I put the plan into place and I made the necessary changes.

Awesome fact: We have control over what we want to change.
Downfall: Sometimes takes us too long to decide.

photo credit: Vicki's Nature via photopin cc

2.     We’re pushed
Unlike the 1st style this start comes when we must react to a situation or someone else’s wishes. It can be positive or negative. For example, “We need to move because we’re having another child/the parents are coming to live with us/or we’re going into debt.” We may have eventually made the decision, but in this case we have to make a change like when we’re fired, become ill, or have other pressures from those close to us.

For me, I had a marketing consultant contact me about redoing the content on my website and I said, “Yes” which started a whole bunch of changes.

Awesome fact: Opportunities to change present themselves or we can get moved out of an area of feeling stuck.
Downfall: We do what others want or are forced to react to a decision and feel a loss of control.

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3.     We act
Basically we just start doing something and that action causes a bigger change. We didn’t decide to cause the change and didn’t realize it was going to happen it just comes. This could show up in a positive or negative way. Like someone staying later at work and missing his or her gym time and gaining weight. Or because they’re working more the boss notices and gives them a promotion. And even their marriage or dating life starts to diminish.

For me, I wanted to start a single group for women to come together and form authentic relationships and be allowed to grow both personally and professionally. This was the birth of Dynamic Women in Action which has now grown to over 300 women with five locations. It makes me laugh when people say, “Wow what a great business model.” But that wasn’t my intention it just seemed to happen and I was along for the ride.

Awesome fact: We get to truly be in the moment.
Downfall: We can make a wrong turn or miss out on the big picture opportunities.

So that's how change starts...

Your Turn:  Do you have your own examples of how one of these three styles of starting change happened in your life? Comment below. 
Brownie points if you can come up with an example that was two or more of them at the same time.

xo
Diane