Change is Coming... Are You Ready?

Change is coming your way, and I’m not talking about the stuff that jingles in your pocket. I’m talking about those things that happen each and every moment of the day that effects absolutely everything we do, from our relationships to the amount of sleep we get to how stressed we feel and the amount of fun we have. I’m talking about life, and just in case you’ve missed it, all of our lives are about to take another huge turn on the cyclical wheel of change. Fall is coming!

• School starts for many children in a matter of days; we (and our children) have to shift from being in a relaxed, having fun, no worries, staying up late kind of mindset to bedtime routines, packing lunches, homework, meetings, football practices and Friday night games, and having to get the entire family out the door each morning… the kids to school AND you to work!
• We’re all ramping up for 4th quarter at our jobs. As an example: I’ll be on the road nearly 4 weeks of the 4th quarter this year at speaking engagements! There are travel arrangements to confirm, speeches to prepare, packing to do, and all of this while I maintain a full coaching schedule, radio show, tele-seminars, article writing, and everything else we do! Oh, and then there is my life to live and enjoy. We can’t leave that out!
• There are those who are preparing to retire at the end of 4th quarter… now that is a huge change that can affect an entire family!
• Before long stores will be putting Christmas holiday decorations on display! All of which brings to mind holiday preparations, parties, shopping – all the stuff that completely stresses many of us out!
• And add to these cyclical changes the economic downturn many industries are facing and the number of other personal changes we may be staring down, and one can see how change is everywhere!

So, are you ready for the change that is upon us or are you basking in the lazy days of summer? If you are lingering in the final days of summertime, don’t linger too long or you will find yourself completely buried by the changes coming your way.

How do you prepare for and manage the cyclical changes?

Tip #1: The first step in preparing and managing change is to acknowledge it!If you turn a blind eye to all of things you have going on in your life, change will come as a surprise, and often it isn’t the kind of surprise we enjoy! Just last week I prepared for the change that is coming my way over the next several weeks by thinking through all of my commitments, writing them all down on paper, and creating a timeline of what needs to be done, by-when in order to manage it all! (It is called a plan!) In doing so I chose to become an emissary of change instead of a victim of it! I made the choice to be in action vs. reaction, and when it comes to change, the most effective place to be is in action.

Tip #2: Have a plan!

When Fred from the local home builders association calls you for the umpteenth time to pressure you into chairing an event and you simply do not have room for one more commitment… Or you feel the need to fit “just one more” trip into your already jammed 4th quarter… it is much easier to stand your ground and not cave into the pressure when you have a plan that clearly defines your priorities and the moves you have to make over the next several weeks to meet the commitments you already have!(As a side note: If you have ANY room in your plan to add activities that make a difference for your community’s youngsters, please do it!! As a matter of fact, I dare to say that you should even make the room! They need all of the help they can get.)Without a plan and a clear picture of what we have to do and when, it is very easy to get overcommitted! With a plan and a clear picture of what we have to do and by-when, we know what we have to do and we can even share it with others!Which leads me to the next tip…

Tip #3: Give up the Only I Can Do It Syndrome!

ASK FOR THE HELP YOU NEED! Remember: If you could get to where you are going by yourself, you’d be there already.

Change comes at us from all different places.

Whether it is a change in the season, which brings with it a change in activities, or a change in our relationships, where we live, or the job we perform, change doesn’t have to equal Challenge. If we plan for the changes we know are on the horizon, and choose to be in action instead of reaction, change becomes our friend instead of our foe!Don’t treat change like it is something that “just happens” and then you react to it. Think about the changes that are ahead in your life. Ask yourself:

• What changes are coming up for me personally?
• Is there a change in my business that I need to prepare for (more travel, change in responsibilities, etc.)?
• What changes are coming up for my children or other family members that I need to be prepared for?

Then write down what those changes are and how you are going to manage them, what you need to do/what actions you need to take, and what help you need to ask for!!Remember: you are the only person who has a say in how your life turns out. So, what do you say… better yet, what do you CHOOSE?Warm Regards,