Your Average Jo: Change is...Change

The most common of the many sayings on change is “change is good.” While I may not go as far as labelling that as toxic positivity, I will say it is a narrow expression for all that encompasses change.

As someone who has experienced change in its many forms, whether self-initiated, imposed upon me, personal, professional, internal, superficial (I’ve had some haircuts I thought I’d never get over), or even “the change” (ladies, you know what I’m talking about), I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no single way to define the associated feeling and outcome. While many of the changes have been for the better, most of them have also brought great discomfort (whether it be physical, emotional, or both).

Change, by its very definition, means to make something or someone different. And as living, breathing, feeling humans, it’s against our biological instincts to not have some reaction to change. We are built to protect ourselves and our environment, so any potential threat to the status quo puts us on high alert.

Yet, some people thrive on the thrill of it and others run for cover, hang on to their current state for dear life, or put their head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening. But guess what? No matter where you are on that spectrum, things will change anyway.?

I’ve recently taken a new path in my career and am feeling all the feels. While I’ve gone back to the sweet spot of what I love to do as an entrepreneur, working closely with small- to medium-sized brands in a field I know well, there are new processes, readjustments to my routine and reacquainting with the feeling of wearing it all on my shoulders. Do I lose sleep over it sometimes? Absolutely!?

?As a consultant, this helps me walk the walk with my clients. My role is often to provide strategies and recommendations that will undoubtedly lead to change for the stakeholders and/or their organizations. And one of the most frustrating aspects of being in a consulting role is when people don’t implement what you’ve recommended (I know my fellow consultants feel me right now). It’s what led me to come up with my own saying about change, which is that many people want change just as long as nothing changes. Conundrum? No. More like impossible.

So I tell them what I’m telling you now: Change can be good, but it’s also hard, and sometimes, uncomfortable. There are moments where it feels worse, but then it feels better. You can either go with it (or even better, lead it) or it can happen to you. But it’s going to happen one way or the other, so wouldn’t you rather drive it??

I can tell you from my experience that it will be a rollercoaster, but well worth the ride. I’ve done it too many times to count now, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Joanna Track is the founder of Good Eggs & Co., a company dedicated to helping companies make quality content that leads to strong conversion. Her blog, Your Average Jo, covers her musings about leadership, business and life in general.