“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” 

– Jim Rohn

The process of change gets me excited because it helps me “turn up the volume” so-to-speak with ideas I want to explore, areas I need to grow, and possibilities I have yet to discover.

But, change and I weren’t always best buddies. Instead of being change-ready, I was change-resistant.  I was locked into a certain way of being, doing, and functioning that was within my comfort zone which, by the way, wasn’t that comfortable. I had a list of things I desperately wanted to change.  Sadly, there was a longer list I needed to change but was in denial about. Regardless, I continued to struggle against change. Why? My resistance to change was smothered in life-depleting attitudes, beliefs, and feelings I resonated with that kept me in the fight, such as:

• Change means I have to give up control. (No way, Jose!)
• It’s too hard to change. (I’m already struggling. Why struggle more?)
• I’ll lose what I have if I change. (At least it’s familiar to me even if it is negative.)
• I’m scared to make changes because I might fail. (Or worse, succeed. Then what?!)

Any of those resonate with you?

Do you confront change with your dukes up? Do you welcome it with open arms? Or, are you somewhere in between?

Change is simple. Resistance is what makes it hard.

One thing is for sure: Everything changes. Nothing stays the same. This reality leaves me and you with two options: To change for the good or to change for the bad.  We choose the latter when we choose to stay the same whether we realize it or not. Life does not allow us to stay put. When we refuse to move forward we are actually moving backwards.

All that time I was resisting change, I was changing…but for the worse. Oy vey! What I came to realize is that I could redirect all the energy I was using to resist change to, instead, embrace it…and change for the better. This didn’t happen overnight. It took time because change is a process.

Process your change in five stages.

There are typically five stages to change.  While the time you can stay in each stage may vary, shifting the beliefs, attitudes, and feelings that hinder you from moving into the next stage will reduce resistance, facilitate progress, and prevent relapse.  Think of one area of your life you would like to improve. Now as you go through these five stages, identify what stage of change you are currently in.

1.  Unconsciousness:

• You are unaware of the need to change.
• You are not thinking about your need to change.
• You are denying your need to change.

2.  Consciousness:

• You have become aware that you need to change.
• You are thinking about your need to change.
• You are accepting that you want to change.

3.  Preparation:

• You have decided you are ready to change.
• You have gotten clear about the changes you are going to make.
• You have started identifying the actual steps involved to make the changes.

4.  Active Implementation:

• You commit to a schedule, people, or resources to support you in making changes.
• You begin carrying out the steps you want to take in order to change.
• You continue taking the appropriate actions so that you anchor in your changes.

5.  Living the Change:

• You begin enjoying the benefits these changes have made in your life.
• You live the change and it becomes a part of who you are.
• You desire to make changes in other areas and look forward to the process of change.

Coaching moves you through change.

There’s a certainty that you will cycle through these stages of change as you work through your resistance and shift your resonance. Coaching supports you in moving through that process in your own perfect timing by identifying what you want to change, clearing the obstacles standing in your way of change, and implementing the actions necessary to live the change.

Are you ready to change…now?

If so, begin your process of change by scheduling a free 25-minute Discovery Call to kick in your change-readiness and move from Stage 1 to Stage 5 in your business and life.

Simply resonating with you changing with ease,