3 Steps to Start Embracing Life’s Changes: Practical Steps to Help You Embrace Change with Confidence
. Mark A. Anderson
Nationally recognized interviewing trainer and speaker bringing scientifically validated Interview Training that maximizes the quantity and quality of truthful information obtained.
"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional."
— John C. Maxwell
Two weeks ago we talked about change and the need to remain open to it when it comes to investigative interviewing.? We need to examine research for the best evidence-based practices and implement them to maximize our interviewing results. We can’t get locked into the dogma and folklore of the past if there are better techniques. Sometimes not changing to maintain comfort is a disservice.
Last week we examined change for a much broader area of life. Change is inevitable and not just in interviewing. Whether it’s in our personal lives, careers, relationships, or health, change is one of the few constants we can count on. But let’s be honest: change can be hard everywhere.
When it’s gradual, we may not even notice it. However, when it’s sudden or significant, it can feel overwhelming, even paralyzing. The key to thriving in life is learning to handle change effectively, no matter how difficult it feels.
This blog is designed to help you do just that. Last week we examined in detail nine practical and proven tips, to not only survive change but embrace it with confidence. This week I'll provide three actionable steps that you can implement right away to make your next big life change just a little bit easier, and hopefully more productive.
Why Is Change So Difficult?
Before we dive into the tips, it’s important to understand why change can feel so challenging. The human brain is wired to seek comfort and familiarity. When things stay the same, we feel secure. Change, on the other hand, introduces uncertainty, which triggers fear and anxiety. So even when it is a positive changes, like a new job or moving to a better neighborhood, stress can still result.
But here’s the good news: just because change is uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to be unbearable. By learning how to manage your mindset and emotions, you can train yourself to see change as an opportunity rather than a threat. This mindset shift is crucial for navigating life’s transitions with grace and confidence.
9 Tips for Embracing Change:
1. Make Change Normal
It is a part of life, its going to happen, why not embrace it.
2. Not Changing Is Just as Hard
The consequences of not changing can mitigate success, so which is harder.
3. Bring a Friend Along?
Much like many things, including investigative interviewing and planning, teamwork makes the dreams work.
4. Focus on What You Can Control
In any problem or change, recognizing where we can effect change is where we should spend our energies.?
5. Keep a Journal
Writing can be a powerful tool for managing change. It allows us to observe our progress and strategize future actions.?
6. Trust Yourself
Recognize your strengths, resilience, and resourcefulness. The more you believe in your ability to handle change, the more confident you’ll feel when new challenges arise.
7. Take Care of Your Basic Needs?
Self-care is so important to succeed.? We can’t relegate basic needs to the back burner.
8. Make a Plan?
Much like interviewing, we must have a plan. Often, we neglect it, but when it comes to addressing change, a plan is imperative.
9. Failure Isn't the End
When you change your relationship with failure, you’ll become more willing to take risks and embrace change with an open mind.
Actionable Steps to Implement Today:
Now that you’ve learned these nine tips, it’s time to put them into action. Here are three simple but powerful steps you can take starting today to begin embracing change in all aspects of your life.? These steps build on each other and we must transcend the entire staircase:
1. Define the Change.
Take a moment to clearly identify the specific change you’re trying to or need to make. Is it related to your interviewing, health, career, relationships, or personal growth? Write down exactly what the change is and why it feels challenging. The clearer and more specific you are about enumerating the change, the easier it will be to develop a plan to address and overcome it.
2. Why Do You Want to (or Need to) Change?
In the second step, list all the positive outcomes this change will bring into your life. Will it make you happier, healthier, more successful, or more fulfilled? Visualize how your life will improve once you embrace the change. This exercise will help you stay motivated when the going gets tough. Be detailed in all the possible positives and improvements that may be realized.
3. What if You Don’t Change?
Finally, think about the consequences of staying the same. What will happen if you don’t act and embrace change? How will it affect your happiness, well-being, or success? Write down the potential negative effects of not changing. Be detailed and complete in your assessment. Sometimes, this step will demonstrate that the fear of staying stuck turns out to be greater than the fear of change. This will make the path to change much clearer and focused.
"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change."
— Wayne W. Dyer
Change is never easy, but it’s always an opportunity for growth. By employing these three steps in conjunction with the nine tips from last week, you’ll be better equipped to handle even the toughest transitions life throws your way. Remember, change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process, and the more you practice embracing change, the easier it will become. Change success in one area of life, can benefit those decisions in other areas. So, don’t wait—start taking action today and unlock the doors to a more fulfilling future.
Anderson Investigative Associates is positioned to custom-tailor training to your specific needs.? If you have any questions or would like to discuss the above subject of embracing change or any training need, please reach out.? Additional issues pertaining to interviewing, auditing, and investigations can be found in other blogs and videos that we have produced and are contained in most blocks of instruction that our company presents.
If you have additional questions, comments, or have an interview topic you would like me to address, give me a shout.? In the meantime, be well, stay safe out there, and start being prepared and practiced for encountering change….it will change many aspects of your well-being.
Please reach out:? ? Mark A. Anderson
Director of Training and Development
Anderson Investigative Associates, llc
114 Loucks Avenue
Scottdale, PA 15683
tel:912-571-6686