COPING WITH CHANGE

 

It may be a long time since you were working - perhaps you are returning to work after raising your children.  Or perhaps you have semi-retired and are suddenly feeling a little lost with the new hours you are working.  Change can be daunting and full of unknowns.  By embracing change, and being aware of how you can control elements involved, can help boost your confidence and work towards this new chapter in your life.   By taking control you can work towards a positive attitude to help cope with the new challenge ahead.  

 

The key is to stay in control of your destiny. The key to staying in control is about planning, knowing what’s ahead of you and putting actions in place to address things along the way.  Here’s a 12 step plan to help you on the way:

 

• Values - Assess what’s important to you right now (e.g. sense of purpose, fulfilment, personal growth, relationship with children)
• Goals – decide where you want to be in future (in line with your values) and write it down. This will give you focus and make it real.
• Assess your current situation (what’s your starting point?)
• Identify gaps between current and future (e.g. need further qualifications, addressing self-limiting beliefs, sorting out new childcare options, changing your job with flexible hours, opportunity to take voluntary redundancy etc)
• Resources - Brainstorm your resources and define who or what can help you – or what you need to do to get closer to your goal. 
• Embrace your change - by embracing change and being aware of your challenges, you can face them with confidence. 
• Action plan – Have a plan in place, broken down into manageable actions & realistic timelines to get you from current to future position
• Address your emotions – Write down how you feel including any fears. Address your emotions & talk with family, friends etc about how you feel throughout the process (e.g. if you feel scared or worried about a situation – ask yourself – “what is it about the situation that makes me feel this way?” Am I in control of this or is someone else? What can I do to address this?)
• Ask for help / support when you need it (e.g. learn to ask for help and delegate before things get too much and to ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed)
• Monitor your progress – it helps you stay on track and highlights if you need to change your strategy to achieve your goal. Be proactive and make changes to your plan along the way.
• Rediscover your personality - Make a change for yourself to mark the “new you” e.g. new hairstyle, a new outfit for the office to give you a business image, to make a transformation from mum to professional.
• Celebrate your success! – your goal may take a year or so to achieve, so  remember to celebrate each small achievement along the way and plan a final celebration when you reach your final goal. 

Using the 12 step plan should help you cope with changes in your life, leaving you with time and energy for the parts of your life you really want to face!

 

This article was submitted by Horizons Regained.

Horizons Regained offers change and life consultancy particularly aimed at women.  It is run by Joanna Puczkowski, a qualified life coach, change consultant and management accountant, with 19 years business experience. 

To find out more visit www.horizonsregained.com