Definition of CHANGE
transitive verb
2a : to replace with another <let’s change the subject> b : to make a shift from one to another : switch <always changes sides in an argument> c : to exchange for an equivalent sum of money (as in smaller denominations or in a foreign currency) <change a 20-dollar bill> d : to undergo a modification of <foliage changing color> e : to put fresh clothes or covering on <change a bed>
intransitive verb
1: to become different <her mood changes every hour>
2of the moon : to pass from one phase to another
3: to shift one’s means of conveyance : transfer <on the bus trip he had to change twice>
4of the voice : to shift to lower register : break
5: to undergo transformation, transition, or substitution <winter changed to spring>
…Often people do not like a lot of change. They are comfortable with the routine. They feel safe in knowing what is to come. They even resist things that are going to be different, out of their ordinary, or unlike their usual. So why do people oppose something new or different?…
…Many times people avoid change because they worry the new way will not work. They are afraid of what is ahead. Or, when they have been doing something one way for so long they become comfortable in that pattern and see something as new or different as an interruption to their established routine. Still further, some people may resist change when there is something lacking, whether it back a lack of trust, a lack of knowledge, or a lack of feeling included in the change. People want to be a part of what is happening to them…
…This leads me to why I am telling you about change in the first place! I am about to totally change and unveil my brand new website. My blog will no longer be separate from the website and it will now be all included in one. I wanted to tell my faithful readers and followers about this before it happened so that you were not shocked by the changes you see. The coloring will be slightly changed. The font will be different. The landing page url might vary a bit. And the way you navigate the blog will be new. It is all very exciting as my hope is that it will be more user-friendly and will flow more easily altogether. I wanted to share this with you so that one day when you open up to read a blog post you are not thinking you have landed on the wrong site or the wrong page. So, just a heads up… change is coming!…
…So how can one cope with change? What can make the transition a bit smoother and more welcomed? Well first off, recognize that change is growth. Change is about making things better. If we stay stuck in our same old habits and patterns; we really are not healing, growing, and learning. So the initial way to welcome change is to shift your mindset around it. Another way to cope with change is through communicating what is happening and including people in it. So I am sharing with you about the website re-do and blog move so that you are aware of it and included in the process. You won’t wake up one day and all of a sudden the entire blog is moved somewhere else! A final way to cope with and handle change is to provide support and channels for feedback. So with the blog move; please ask me questions or let me know if you are having any challenges with reading the posts or finding resources from the blog. They too, are going to be moved around a bit on the site. But in the long run it will be easier to use!…
How do you approach change? Where do you embrace it and where do you run from it? Have you ever used any strategies to make change easier and more acceptable?
Liz – I think change is exciting and I can’t wait to see your new website! Great post as well. Personally, I try to embrace change by looking upon it as a new adventure and I always remind myself that everything is temporary, nothing is permanent. If I don’t like what the ‘change’ brought me, I can always be a catalyst for a new ‘change’.
Professionally, as a parent coach, I help parents uncover abilities to ‘change’ possibilities
Connie Hammer, http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com
Hi Connie! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and experience. I love your outlook and agree that everything is temporary anyway… good way to approach it! Holding on to things and “attaching” ourselves leads to troubles, as you are right, nothing is permanent. And you are exactly right… if you do not like what the change has established; change that! Thanks for reading!