10 Tips to help change happen

Change can be difficult; it requires thought, bravery, commitment, consistency, and energy. It can also be the simplest thing you have ever done with the right structure.

As a coach, when I work with clients who are wanting to create a change in their lives, the tips below are some of the things I talk with them about. These tips are focused on the important factors we need to consider when implementing the change, we want in our lives. These tips can be universally applied; changes you want to make about yourself, about work or in your family. Not all of them will apply to every situation or to every person, but when you read each one, be honest with yourself; which do apply to you right now?

1.             Don't be scared of failure


On the face of it, this sounds like a difficult thing to do, but failure is really just another opportunity to learn.  Children learning to walk don't see every fall as failure; they get back up again and again, knowing a little more about walking each time. Reminding yourself to adopt this mindset as an adult will alter your interpretation of situations and help you in the future.

Anticipating failure is another component of implementing change as whatever change you want to make probably requires you to stop doing something you are already doing or start doing something you aren’t doing now. Both things require you to either change a habit or create one. Knowing how to tackle the situations that threaten these new habits is part of being prepared.

2.             Be clear about what you want to achieve.

Too many people fail to achieve a goal because what they didn’t have a clear picture of what they wanted. To help clients to gain that clarity I often give the example of booking a holiday. When you think about booking a holiday, you think about what type of holiday would suit you and your family. You consider the amount of money you want to spend; you think about the destination and the type of accommodation. Once it’s booked, you dream for months about the things you are going to do once you arrive. You imagine yourself lazing by the pool; you think about what you might pack, you work out how you are going to travel there.  When you are thinking about implementing change, this is the level of detail you need to be planning to.  What do you want?  How will it feel?  Can you see the vision?  I work with clients to create vision boards to create this level of details, click here to find out more here

3.             Have support or resources available.

This is a question I ask all of my clients during a session.  “What support do you need to make this change occur?” Sometimes, the answer is nothing; sometimes there is a need for emotional support from friends and family. Other times, you will need to recruit people to help you, or consider training courses, mentors, support groups etc.  Resources can also be tangible things such as, phones, laptops and other equipment. Anticipating the resources, you will need helps to ensure your change is successful.

4.             Believe in yourself

Belief is less about feeling confident and more about feeling prepared. Trusting yourself to the process, trusting yourself to fail, yet believing in yourself enough to know you will try again and again.

Believe you are worth the time and investment to make the change because you are.

5.             Make time

We are a busy world, distracted by our “busy-ness”. Technology helps us to believe we can fit more and more things into our day but really, despite everything, there are still 24 hours in a day and we choose how those hours are spent, it’s all about priorities. The problem is that making time for you is frequently very low on the list. So how do we change this view? In her book “Thrive”, Arianna Huffington dedicates a whole chapter to what she terms “putting your own oxygen mask on first”. On a plane, the safety instructions state you must put your own mask on first, not the child sitting next to you. Why? Because you aren’t any help to anyone if you can’t breathe yourself. Have a think; when in your day can you find time to fit your own oxygen mask, what can not happen to allow this?

6.             Be motivated

Making change requires energy. It also requires focus, positivity, belief and, most importantly, planning. It is hard and exhausting to make change if you have no appetite for it, so think about why you are making this change; do it for yourself, not others.

7.             More action, less procrastinating!

I’m a planner at heart; nothing makes me happier than a lovely list, maybe even a little spreadsheet. I must remind myself that whilst planning is essential, it doesn’t make anything happen. So, if you are in the same boat as me, act, and do something, even if it’s a small thing, even if it isn’t perfect; take one step everyday towards your goal. It’s better than taking no steps at all.

8.             Don't be afraid of the unknown, the change may be good

It’s natural for people to see the risks associated with change and not it’s potential benefits, which sometimes leads to a “better the devil you know” attitude. Whilst it is sensible to be able to see all possible outcomes to change, both positive and negative, it is really important to try to retain a balanced view. Sometimes people worry about making a change for the worse. However, when you want to make a change, it’s normally because you aren’t happy or satisfied with where you are, so the next change you make might not be exactly where you want to be, but it will be one step closer.

9.             Be clear about the decisions that need to be made


It’s so easy to become confused and overwhelmed when faced with decisions and get bogged down with the details. Allow yourself some time each day to reflect and ask yourself, “What decision do I need to make to get me closer to my goal? What is my absolute priority?” It is easy to become distracted by other tasks and lose sight of what is your goal

10.  Be consistent

It is tempting to want to see all the results immediately and when this doesn’t materialize to feel demoralized and stop making as much effort. This is where consistency comes in, doing an amount each day adds up to so much more than an initial ‘all in’ attitude.

Which of these 10 things apply to you right now and what will you do differently tomorrow?