Taking the First Step Toward Change
Posted on April 18, 2018 by Marie Chindamo, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Change can be intimidating but it doesn't have to be. Learn how to take the first actions for change.
How many times have you sat on your coffee break, and thought about something you want to do someday? Something that seems a thousand miles away, but that you long for? Maybe you want to finally get in shape, dropping all the years worth of fried food and bad habits you’ve accumulated over your lifetime. Perhaps you want to start your own business or write a novel, and really refine that dream or story that’s been bouncing around in your head since you were an undergrad with big dreams. It’s even possible you want something simpler, and closer. Something like a promotion, or a career change, that still feels out of your reach.
You can do it. But you have to be willing to start walking.
Change Begins With You
The only common point for every decision in your life, good or bad, has been you. Which is why, if you want your life to change, it’s up to you to steer a new course. You must identify and move the blocks that you either consciously or subconsciously put in your way. The ship is going to keep sailing in the current direction if you don’t grip the wheel and make a correction. You’re the captain, here, and you’re the only one at the helm.
The first thing you need to do is decide what changes need to happen. In other words, you need to decide your want. Because too often we use the word want to mean something we’d like to happen, but that we won’t go out of our way to achieve. For most of us, if there were a pill to get 6-pack abs, we’d take it, but we’re not going to get up at 6 a.m. every day to go for a run before work. We’re certainly not going to stop eating cheeseburgers. But for some of us, that is precisely what we’re willing to do. Not just once, or twice, but until we get the results we want.
Change Is Easier Than You Think
Change takes work. If it didn’t, everyone would do it. Whether it’s getting a promotion, starting your own business, or getting a degree, you must acknowledge the barriers and choices you have put in your way of achieving that goal. However, the most important thing you can have is the will to make a change. You must truly want it. Once you have the want, everything else is simple.
Assess your current situation.
Pinpoint just one thing this week that isn’t working for you and write it down. For example, if you want a new job but cannot seem to find time to update your resume, make that your focus. Write down the top three reasons why that is happening, pick one, and explore options on how to remove that barrier. In the example of updating your resume, perhaps you are too tired or distracted to work on it when you get home from work. What can you do instead? Explore options such as dedicating your lunch hour, or stopping at a coffee shop on your way home one night to make it happen.
Too often we stand in our way of success. Sometimes this is due to our fear of change, other times it is simply because we allow ourselves to become distracted by all of the less important things in our lives. It is these reasons why many people find working with a life coach so effective. A coach calls you out on your sh*t and holds you accountable. Try it on your own. Take the first step to focus on a small change and ask a friend to hold you accountable.
If you need some help getting started, take advantage of ProTilly’s complimentary 30-minute consultation. Contact me to book one today!
