If you aren’t into New Year resolutions, there might be some pretty good reasons. Everyone has something they would like to change and we also know it’s never quite that easy. Setting goals can just be a big let-down, right? After years of letting ourselves down, we can often decide that it’s better not to even try. Let’s focus on some really good reasons to consider change as an option.
- Mental health impacts all our other life goals. Good news and bad news; we have to get the basics right before we can face the big life decisions. If you are currently struggling to get through the day, it is valid and even ideal to make that easier and better before you worry about a job change. When we attend to our core needs, then we will find inner strength, vision and even hope for the bigger picture. Big life decisions are overwhelming and daunting, even if they mean good things. So let yourself off the hook for the big stuff until you find some calm and peace with yourself and daily life.
- Decisions don’t make themselves. Finding time to reflect and tune into your passions, values and long-term goals is key to making sure you put your effort into the right change. One great by-product of New Years is the emphasis on reviewing our year (or our life) and asking ourselves what we really want. Doing this on the regular, even if it’s a daily check-in on our mood, builds awareness we need to make change decisions. You don’t have to be ready to make the change, but you may need to start considering what makes you happy and why.
- We all live in our comfort zone. Growth typically happens outside our comfort zone. When you find yourself resistant to change and all that it brings, ask if this hesitation is rooted in fear or in real concerns. You might find you are really good at talking yourself out of things because you can’t predict outcomes. Start with “comfort zone adjacent” options and give yourself huge credit for enduring the discomfort of these experiments. That discomfort will lessen over time as you learn maybe it’s not always as scary as you thought it would be.
- Flexibility is a sign of resilience. Life is dynamic and circumstances will always be changing. Learning to open ourselves to change by adjusting our plans or even our expectations is an important exercise. When we learn flexibility we can adapt when the unexpected finds us. Practicing this in the smaller things helps ensure that the “flex” is still aligned with our values and dreams. It is when we don’t practice that we run the risk of compromising ourselves when faced with a hard-left turn in life that we didn’t expect. That might seem surprising, but practice does indeed make perfect. Think of it like trying new yoga moves before warm-up. Yeah, ouch.
- Gaining confidence in your own intuition is pure gold. Our gut feelings are powerful. Learning to trust your intuition comes when you have an opportunity to test it. Preparing for decisions by getting all the information possible is important, but ultimately your take on the pros and cons will be the determining factor. Choosing to reflect on how you make change and choose certain paths helps you tune into that gut instinct and learn when to trust it.
Making change is a profound, life-long journey. Your daily practice of reflection, adaptability and informed decision-making create strong footing for facing change. It is possible to navigate change with confidence and purpose, not hurl ourselves blindly into the unknown. Here’s to a year of accepting each decision as part of a tapestry of experiences that are shaping who you are. Best to you in embracing change in 2024.
