The Only Constant is Change

Recently I started writing about leveling up, professionally, personally, however you want to slice it. And I realized that actually one of the main components of leveling up and growing is accepting, welcoming, instigating, pushing for change. Here are some tips and quips that I hope you can take with you on your own journey.

Change is Slow. Architects know this all to well. First of all, we work on projects that have long lifespans. Designing and constructing a building can take years of your life and career, sometimes even decades. Our industry as a whole is very slow in accepting change in large part due to relying on tried-and-tested design principals and construction methods. Any significant changes to these conventional approaches is met with resistance and skepticism. While it can feel frustrating, especially for a young design professional, change is slow, but slow is good. Truth be told, gradual progress is real progress. Anything that is fast, is shallow and unworthy.

Change Takes Effort. Yup. It takes contemplation, intent and work. Nothing really happens if we 'take it easy', if we 'sit back and relax', if things are constantly on the 'back burner' to throw yet another idiom at you. You have to wake up early to get that early morning run if you want to get back into shape, you have to take that LinkedIn learning course during lunch (please consider mine LOL) if you want to move up in your career, you have to lean into your partner's needs if you want a better relationship. Be intentional about change, want it, do it. And you will see that things will start happening.

Change is Hard. When you are trying to make a building, something, anything for that matter, it can feel like you are inventing the world. From scratch. When you create you really are, in essence, changing the world. Every. Single. Time. It can be daunting. It can be stressful. It can feel like pushing a huge rock up a hill. Sisyphus comes to mind. You doubt yourself. Am I really that loser? Sisyphus, ugh... Why is it so hard? The answer is that you are transforming, it is supposed to feel that way. It is supposed to be challenging, uncomfortable, tight. Like the tectonic movements in the earths crust eons of stagnation take some real force to make a shift. Like doing that last pushup. Like trying to stay awake to make that deadline. Embrace the difficult.

Change is Incremental. It doesn't happen overnight, and it is important to recognize those small improvements that are leading us in the right direction. These could be conversations with our team about things that are working or not working. I know I've had a whole bunch of them lately and each time I see how much we've grown as a team from that last time we had that conversation. If we are working on our schematics for a project, one week we'll nail a rendering while the next we'll work on just the structure of the presentation we're about to give to a client. Baby steps make all the difference.

Change is Natural. Evolution is change. As a species we've come a long way from our ape cousins. We've evolved as a civilization, and as a society. We evolve as individuals. Life itself is change. I like the metaphor of the blade of grass always reaching for the sun. It is in our DNA and in our natural composition to transform and grow. It is sad to see that some individuals mid way through their lives or career get into this stalemate of feeling stuck or experiencing stagnation. Then they start complaining maybe falling into a cycle of depression. Why? Because it is unnatural. Our natural state is to grow and to grow you gotta change!

Change Takes Courage. This means getting our of your comfort zone and setting sail to the unknown. Maybe you need to quit your job and start your company, like me. Or you need to find new friends in a sea of strangers. Or you just really need to start exercising to lose weight. Or creating boundaries in relationships. Whatever it is, you might feel uncomfortable, maybe you'll stumble, or vomit midway through the workout. Maybe you'll stand in the face of rejection, you might get ridiculed, or lose a bunch of money, or you might truly suffer for a while. You will need the mental strength to persevere. If I'm the only one to remind you, do know that you can do it, in spite of your inner demons. Ignore those little haters, block them with some cool shades.

Change Yourself. There is nothing wrong with changing ourselves. Some say that ah we never change... We don't want others to change us or it is looked down upon like you're losing your identity. Relax you're not. I like when people are open to changing themselves... at jobs, in relationships, for themselves, because it shows us that they are willing to learn. And learning is all we can really do. learn and inspire others in the process. I also feel that I can always be better, and to be better I need to change who I am. Constantly. physically, mentally. I have so much to learn!

If this stream of consciousness about change, a barrage of unsolicited advice if you will, resonates with you, do let me know how you are doing on your own journey and let's continue the conversation in the comments...