At some point or another, everyone must learn about managing change effectively. It is such a good feeling to have a solid plan in mind for your future. Maybe you are in school working toward a degree; maybe you are saving to buy your dream house. In any case, you weren’t planning for any major detours in your life. Effectively managing change can be the difference between thriving despite the change and falling apart because you can’t adapt to changes in your plans.
When your path towards the future changes, clinging to what you had can be one of the biggest detriments to moving on. You must search for a new goal or a new way to achieve it. Failing to accept the change, will also hinder your ability to see what the future will truly look like.
Cut out Negativity
Another roadblock people face when they are trying to manage change is negative people. Combating the influences of people around you that can’t accept change, is almost as difficult as fighting those feelings in yourself. Change management sometimes involves limiting your interaction with these people or cutting them out of your life entirely. This can be difficult, especially if these people are your family or close friends, but if they can’t support your new outlook on life, then they are holding you back.
Prepare for Changes
Some changes come suddenly, like an illness or accident, but you can prepare yourself for other changes by continually reassessing your situation and being proactive when you discover signs of change. If you start seeing the signs of change coming, try to change it. If you can’t change it, then you can prepare for it or at least understand how proper change management can affect the outcome of a situation.
Channel Your Energy
Being bogged down with feelings of how unfair it prevents you from using your energy to formulate a new goal. The change probably is unfair; good people die, get sick, and lose their jobs. Unfortunately, the relative unfairness of a situation does not ease its effects; but the way you manage change and accept it can turn an unfair event into a blessing. Many people see unplanned negative events as unfair because they feel a sense of entitlement; that they deserve a perfect life; but the fact is that almost everyone faces situations that derail their perfect plans. Your method of managing change dictates how you let the situation change your life.
Instead of focusing on what you have lost and hoping for things to change back to the way they were, focus on your goal, attaining it, and the new way you’re going to get there. Imagine yourself achieving your goals and keep your mind occupied with the rewards of the future, rather than wishing that the change never happened. It won’t be easy, planning for the future wasn’t easy the first time, and this time will surely be harder. is the first step to re-calibrating your goals and methods in a direction that suits the current situation.
Change Management Includes Overcoming Fear
The fear of the unknown is yet another barrier to effectively managing change and re-designing your life plans. You may fail! Part of the joy of achieving a goal is the uncertainty felt on the journey. Re-formulating your plans may be a scary decision because there is no guarantee you will succeed, but you will almost certainly fail if you do not acknowledge the change and start working on alternative ways to get what you want.
Here are some tips that can help you in managing change:
- Anticipate change-be ready for anything!
- Monitor change-keep assessing your situation, so you aren’t suddenly surprised by a change
- Adapt quickly to change-time spent wishing things didn’t change is time you could have spent working towards a new goal
- Remember these tips for managing change because things can change again!
Change management can be difficult, but realising the daunting task ahead of you may be the most difficult part. Once you throw yourself knowingly into your new reality and stop being afraid of the change and how to handle it, you will feel good. Effectively managing change will offer you a better chance to enjoy your life.
