Are You Ready for Change?
You SAY you want to lose weight, be less stressed, change jobs or improve your relationship with your spouse. You SAY this change would add value to your life, make you healthier, richer, happier… You need to do something because as things are, you are not happy and you know life could be better than this.
But are you READY to change?
You tell yourself you need to do this. You tell others too. People are tired of hearing it! And so are you.
But wanting something, even realizing “why” this is important to you, isn’t enough to do the work. You must be ready, willing and able to give up what you have for something better. Only then will you do whatever it takes to follow through and make it happen.
Although you want something different, you may not be at the point where you are willing to commit to change. This is why you keep talking about it, wanting it, dreaming about it but are not taking the steps needed to make the change. You are not ready to commit.
When you are committed, then you are ready. Until you are committed, you are still contemplating, dreaming, wishing…
It is okay to dream and wish for better things. We need to do that in order to identify areas in which we are not satisfied. When we become aware, we can then make different choices to create something different for ourselves.
Dreaming and wishing, however, does not mean that you are READY to actually embark upon the change. It simply means you are, well, dreaming.
People who seek out a coach are ready. They want something better and they are ready to do something about it.
You may not, however, know HOW to change or what, exactly, you WANT. But you know that where you are right now ISN’T where you want to be anymore and you are READY to DO SOMETHING about it.
If you are not acting on your desire to change, perhaps you are not ready.
Acknowledge that. Don’t fight with yourself about it. Be okay with it. It’s a great place to be. It doesn’t mean anything. It means you are HERE, not THERE on your journey.
Instead of beating yourself up or wishing and hoping for change, focus on GETTING READY.
Three strategies will help you to GET READY FOR CHANGE:
1) Accept your current reality as it is. Eliminate denial. Stop avoiding, minimizing, or making excuses for how bad it is or how unhappy you are. FACE REALITY AS IT IS. If you cannot face reality, there is no reason to change it.
2) You will be motivated to move away from pain or toward pleasure. People change ONLY when there is great impetus to do so. You must believe that your current reality is so bad that you can no longer stand it. You must be completely fed up! OR you can focus your thoughts on the pleasure you will experience when you have changed.
3) Surrender. Getting ready means preparing your inner world – your mind – for letting go of its attachment to your current habits, routine, comfort zone and identity. You must become willing to let go of it all in order to embrace and create a new life – a new YOU.
To be ready for change means you are willing to become someone new. And since you only know how to be who you are now and do the things you do, everything needs to be different. You need to learn new tools for living in order to achieve the change you want to make.
Being ready ONLY asks that you are willing and prepared to begin; it is okay for you to not know how to proceed – at least, at first. That will come.
First, get ready. And if you’re not ready for change, focus your energies on getting ready.
Your partner for change,
Coach Julie, RN ~ Nurturing Your Success
PS Want to change something in your life? Learn how hiring a coach can help you achieve great results in less time. Schedule a free session today to learn more. You’re worth it.
