B077: How to handle big change

Recently, I’ve started to realize how much it takes to make a big change in your fundamental belief systems. Earlier this week, I spoke with Erica Courdae all about how to champion diversity in the workplace, which sparked this thought for me…

At times, there’s a gap you have to jump, to get from where you are now to where you want to be. But how do you make the leap?

It takes a shift in three ways, and here’s how to simplify that…

1. Shift your mindset to handle change

Having lived in England for a little over 5 years now, one of the common phrases you’ll hear every day is “Mind the gap.” This is announced on the loud speaker on every single platform on the underground or train station. Basically, ‘the gap’ is the space between the platform edge and the step onto the train or tube. “Mind the gap, mind the gap!” – it’s heard about 30 times a day in London. So much so, it becomes ingrained in your mind.

When I was at my gym in Nottingham yesterday, I noticed a sign in the changing room that simply said ‘Mind gap’. This made me chuckle, as if budget cuts were so tight at my gym that they couldn’t afford the middle word.

But, it also got me thinking… what if it really, truly is a ‘mind gap?’ As in, a ‘mind gap’ is the leap necessary, to be able to handle a big change in work or life. I know for sure, whenever I’m dealing with a massive change, my mind sometimes feels like the last thing to get onboard with things.

Call it denial, with a capital D. But when I learn to shift my mindset sooner, the suffering ends faster.

Set a timer and ask this question…

If you’re faced with a big change, either one that is expected, or one that is totally out of the blue, do this:

• Pull out your journal
• Set a 7-minute timer
• Answer this question: ‘What scares me the most about this big change?’

Don’t edit while you write, just let the words come up and down onto paper. Once you’ve got it down, answer this follow-up question:

‘What would make it less painful?’

The very first steps in shifting your mindset is identifying the challenge. And then ask your intuition to vision and create possible solutions.

2. Shift your environment to make the change

Holy crap, change is coming your way!
You see it, you feel it. You know it’s about to happen. You’ve started to do the mindset work, but now it’s also time to shift your environment to fit your new reality.

Remember, nothing stays the same, ever. To accept this change and get back to thriving sooner (rather than later), your environment might need refining as well.

Take stock of your environment, and what needs to change

Let’s say you’ve lost a key bit of business and you need to tighten your budget belt a bit. Shifting your environment might mean re-considering if you’re going to continue your co-working membership. Or finding someplace more affordable.

Ask yourself these questions:

‘What can I shift in my home or office to help me ease into this new reality, post change?’

‘What would help me get back to thriving sooner?’

Begin to create a vision of how to improve where you live, where you work, and who you interact with on a daily basis. It might be small shifts like adding more plants into your space for better oxygen flow. Or bigger shifts like realizing it’s time to move on to a new city. Listen to what bubbles up, and then take action.

3. What about your daily choices?

If a lifetime is made up of a 1000 daily choices, then it might be time to zoom in on the details for a minute. The change you’re faced with right now will require you to look at things differently.

Take the time to slow down, and look at it from a different point of view. Remember, what may seem devastating to you at first glance, might actually be the catalyst for the next chapter in your career or life.

What my daily choices look like

Truth be told, I (sometimes) find it’s hard to see this when I’m in the thick of it. When I’m not taking good care of myself, my emotions sometimes get the best of me. This leads me down the path of fear, overwhelm and losing hope, especially when times get tough.

What gets me back to center is realizing that every single day is made up of 1000 tiny choices, such as;

• What I wear
• What I listen to
• What I’m going to eat
• When I wake up
• When I go to sleep
• How I move my body
• What I believe is true or false
• Who I’m going to connect with today…

All these things send me on a new trajectory, either closer or further away from what I truly want.

Be mindful today

Take today. Vow to be mindful in every single choice you’re faced with, big or small. Avoid hitting the big red ‘F-it’ button, numbing, or shutting down your receptors mentally, physically or spiritually.

I want you to stay tuned-in and listen to your mind, body and spirit. Keep your heart and your brain set on what’s truly important to you today, and where you want to head.

Ask yourself, ‘What would get me back to thriving sooner? What do I need right now?’

One final whisper

If you’re in the middle of a massive (and scary) change right now, remember one thing – ‘This too shall pass’. I know, I know… it totally sounds cliché. But really, this will pass.

Whatever you’re feeling right now, in this moment, will fade away soon enough. The highest of the highs and (especially) the lowest of the lows. And that’s good news.

You’ve had a 100% success rate at surviving everything in life so far. And you’ll make it through this, as well, whatever you’re grappling with right now.

So, if it feels like your life is one giant ‘Etch A Sketch’, and the Universe is shaking the holy bejeezus out of it… girl, I feel you.

Remember to be kind to yourself.

You will make it through this.

While you might not have the power to control what happens to you, you DO have the power to choose how you interpret and react to it.

So, lead with grace. Be gentle on yourself. Reach out to a friend or colleague who can stand beside you through this. Mind the gap, and be brave when making the leap required to shift your mindset. This will help you to get back to thriving faster.

Shift your environment to help you stabilize things, as needed. Don’t wait, do it now.

And remember, the secret to handling big changes in your life is by being awake and aware in the 1000 tiny conscious choices that you make every single day.

That’s how you turn the ‘Hot Mess’ into success. You’ll get there, I promise. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and roll your shoulders back to face the world.

You can do this, I believe in you.

It’s time to SIMPLIFY.