There's a statistic that states that 65 percent of the world's population fear or hate change. There are many different reasons why people fear or hate change. For some, change forces them out of their comfort zone and into the unfamiliar. For others, change can represent out with the old and in with the new, and some people just have a very hard time of letting go. Whatever the reason, you have to make a decision to look at change in a new perspective. Begin to see change as a new adventure that could lead to some amazing in your life.
“Change isn't always bad. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes it shows you where you were meant to be all along”. - Shey Stahl
The biggest thing you will have to do is get over the fear of change. You will have to force yourself to let go of the old and experience the new.
A new job.
A new relationship.
A move to a new a city.
A new hobby that can lead to great levels of enjoyment.
The list can go on and on. The bottom line is that you have to be the one to initiate a change and not let fear stop you. Accept change and great things can happen. Reject change and nothing happens. If where you are is not where you want to be then don't fear change, embrace it. Rejecting change can only give you the same of what you already don’t enjoy.
Here are five small changes that can make your life better.
1. Change your thinking.
Your thoughts are powerful instruments that can move you toward your dreams and goals in life. Thoughts can also discourage you if you are thinking negative things about your future. Instead of thinking you can’t do something, start thinking you can! Let positive thoughts about your future dominate your mind. Start thinking like a champion and see yourself being the best at whatever it is you desire to do. Instead of thinking about all the things that could go wrong, start thinking about all the things that could go right. You must change from negative thinking to positive.
Some people never get to the point of taking action because they scare themselves away. Their thoughts are so negative when it comes to going after their dreams that they simply never make an attempt to achieve them. Their negative thinking stops them dead in their tracks every time.
Here are a few examples of what I call “negative ‘what if’ thinking”.
What if I step out in faith and fail?
What if I crash and burn and look like a fool?
What if I can’t finish what I start?
What if I’m not good enough to do this?
What if I don’t have what it takes to be successful?
This kind of negative thinking will never get you anywhere. It will drain you and exhaust you to the point of never trying to reach for your dreams.
Now, here are a few examples of what I call “positive ‘what if ’ thinking”.
What if I take a step of faith and everything works out fine?
What if I don’t let the opinions of others stop me?
What if I believe that failure will compel me to keep pushing?
What if I look fear in the face and still keep moving forward?
What if I believe in myself like never before?
What if I reach for my dream and get there?
It takes the same amount of energy to think a negative thought as it does to think a positive thought. The only thing that influences the outcome is which one you believe.
"If you change your thinking, you can change your life." - John Maxwell
2. Change your language.
Often times, we are our very own worst critique. You must be careful of what you say because you are the first recipient of whatever comes out of your mouth. If you are speaking negatively about yourself and future then you will no doubt pave your road by your words.
We can be our worst enemy of our future by saying the wrong things to ourselves. It's time to for the now you to start talking like the future you. Start talking like a successful person right now. Instead of telling yourself that you can’t; try telling yourself that you can. That’s a lesson that we all should have learned in grade school from reading about the little engine that could. Let your language be powerful, inspiring and motivating. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how awesome you are.
"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." - Muhammad Ali
3. Change your expectation.
Some people never achieve anything because they simply don't expect to. It's time to start enlarging your expectation. Don't let your circumstances determine your expectations. You should wake up every morning expecting that you're going to have a great day regardless of how you feel or what you see and hear.
Expect opportunities to meet you today.
Expect good fortune to come your way.
Expect doors to open up for you.
Expect that situation to turn out good instead of bad.
Expect that whatever you set out to do will be accomplished.
Expect that your next days will be your best days.
Now this doesn’t mean that everything is going to turn out the way you expected it to. However, a good expectation will keep you energized, encouraged and motivated through all the ups and downs that you will experience on the journey of life.
4. Change your attitude.
Attitude determines your altitude. A positive attitude will take you very far in life. When people have a bad, negative attitude it is usually because they are not satisfied with their current circumstance or situation in life. A bad attitude never changed anything. Choose to be positive today and have a great attitude no matter what comes your way. Your positive attitude will produce great results for you and others around you.
Like a virus, attitudes are contagious. Keep this in mind when it comes to those that you spend time with the most. It is important that you make sure you spend the most of your time around people with a good attitude, because more than likely, it will rub off on you and vice versa.
A good example of this is the workplace. Imagine a disgruntled co-worker that goes to lunch on their lunch break with another co-worker. During lunch all they talk about is how bad the company is. Before long, that same attitude is now transferred to the other co-worker, who before lunch enjoyed the company.
Now if a bad attitude can spread that fast, imagine how fast a good attitude can spread. That’s why it’s important to spend time with people that have great attitudes.
5. Change your routine.
Most people get bored in life only because they feel stuck in the monotony of a daily routine. It's time to switch things up a bit. Just because you've always done something one way, doesn't mean there's not a different way to do it. Like the old saying; There's more than one way to skin a cat. Any little change in your daily routine can make a huge difference and break you free from the discouraging rut of the same old thing.
Now, some people have work routines that enable them to be productive throughout their workweek. They attribute their success to the daily routines in the workplace. Once again, that type of routine gives them a visible return on their investment.
The routines I want to address are those that are getting you nowhere or no longer working for your current life. If what you are currently doing hasn’t gotten you any closer to your dream, or if your routine has caused stagnation, then it may be time for a change or new plan of action. That’s right, you have to start trying something new in order to get from where you are to where you want to be in life.
Look at it this way; it wouldn’t make any sense for a football team to run the same play over and over for an entire game. The opposing team would catch on soon to their routine and stop the progress of the team for the rest of the game. The reason they have many plays in the playbook is because they know that they have to call different plays in order to advance the ball down the field. They have to switch up the routine in order to win.
Let’s face it, if what you’ve done in the past hasn’t worked, then it might be time to take a different approach. Don’t be afraid to try something new in your life. A new routine will work if you work it!
Doing something new is totally in your control, and it can be fun! You can start today by deciding to do some new things in your life.
Go to a new restaurant and order something you’ve never eaten before.
Take a different route to work and enjoy the new scenery.
Reach out and start a new friendship with someone. New connections always have a way of introducing you to new things. This is a must-do!
Join a club or small group that puts you around a new set of people.
Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone on a daily basis.
Put a new activity on your calendar at least once a month and follow through in doing it.
Do whatever you need to do in order to break the cycle of routine in your life. Every day you wake up is a brand new day just waiting for you to experience its newness!
Life will always be filled with opportunities to make a change. It’s going to be up to you to embrace the opportunity and greet it with a big hello. Stop letting fear of change keep you from moving on to bigger and better things in your life and world. Things really begin to happen and change takes place whenever we go beyond our normal status quo. Quit allowing yourself to nestle safely and comfortably in the lap of mediocrity. Start today by pushing yourself further than you thought you could ever go. Dig down deep and give it your all and then some. Quit doing just enough to get by at your current job, at your school, or in your marriage. You are better than that. You have what it takes. Allow yourself to step into an environment that draws out the Rocky Balboa in you, and you will surprise yourself by going the distance.
