Change is the Only Constant

Change is?the?only constant.?— Heraclitus

Sometimes things change slowly. Sometimes there is?a?lot of change all at once. But there is always change, and how we manage change is an important factor in business success and personal well-being.

Here are?a?few ways to manage change successfully:

View change as normal,?not something that ‘happens’ to you if you are unlucky. Just altering your mindset around change can have profound effects on your stress and your ability to adapt. Life moves in cycles, not in linear progress. See change as?a?natural part of your human experience.

Don’t allow yourself to wallow in regret?(if only I hadn’t done that, this change would not be happening) or nostalgia (things were so much better before this change). What has happened in?the?past is done. It made you?the?person you are today. Love?the?past and love yourself.?

Focus on values over fear.?If change is threatening you and you are unsure how to react, spend some time thinking about your values. Do?a?values clarification exercise. Focusing on your core values may give you important insight into your next actions or responses.

Focus on?the?solution and not?the?problem.?It is very difficult to solve?a?problem when you are focused on?the?problem. If your mind is fixed on what is wrong and?the?potential ramifications, it is not creatively looking for ways to solve?the?problem. Set?the?worry aside and focus on potential solutions.?

Choose action over worry.?Worry pretends to be important but serves no useful purpose. Action - planning - is active and lowers stress. Get out those spreadsheets or to-do lists or whatever you need and start making?a?plan.?

Have confidence. Reassure yourself. You have been through hard changes before. Maybe really hard ones. Look back and say “I worried about that change and things ended up better than I had imagined,” or “I worried about that and things went way worse than I had imagined, but?the?worrying didn’t make it less painful when it happened, and I made it through so I can do it again if I have to.” Your past brings wisdom, and your scars have value. Use them.??

Take?a?break.?When you’re not stressed, make?a?list of things that comfort you. If you are feeling overwhelmed by change, break out?the?list and do one of them. Read?a?book. Watch?a?movie. Call?a?friend. Take?a?walk. Whatever you need to do to shut down that stress and start fresh.?

We can’t avoid change. Often we cannot control whether change comes. We can decide how we view change and what our response will be.?The?better we get at managing change,?the?better off we will be.?

That’s it for this month.???

Go forth, conqueror, and win great victories,?

-Scott

“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” —Sun Tzu

About The Author

I help entrepreneurs build business value by implementing a strategy?planning process that imbeds strategic planning into the business?management processes of the company.

By working with you and your management team and professional advisors, I will help lead the strategy planning process and ensure that the tactics and?operations of the team continually serve the strategic plan.

Rigorous strategic planning is immensely valuable. Not only can a good strategic plan help your team achieve better annual results (increased EBITDA), but also see more turns on revenue when it comes time to sell or finance the business.

Connect With Scott

• How can I help you achieve your business dreams? Learn more about me and the services I offer on my?website.
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