Thriving Among Change Is the Key to Success

Every day brings with it new transitions. Many of them are too subtle to even notice.

But the fact is that we’re adapting constantly, dealing with the unexpected and unknown every minute of every day.

Recognizing that the human mind is naturally engineered to deal with change is a first step in learning how to thrive on change, to feed off of it, and to embrace it as a sort of privilege. Because every change is a chance for advancement, whether spiritually, personally, or financially. After all, success is itself a kind of change—a change for the better.

There’s no reason to let drastic changes, or even small ones, reduce you to a basket case, or handcuff you.

Learn to work within change, instead of fighting against it, and you may discover that you’re truly in your element when changes arise. There’s an element of chance when life enters transition, and no one human being can direct it completely; so relinquish that need for total control. And remember that the things we can’t plan, or have even planned against, may turn out to be nothing short of miracles. Many of the most significant discoveries and advancements, in science and business, are the result of happy accidents.

Most of the fears that change inspires flow from the fact that we’re illogically attached to what we know, and what we fear to lose—often for inexplicable reasons. Why be afraid of change per se, when change may be for the better? When it may bring about a personal renaissance in our lives? Recognizing just how irrational and unwarranted many of our fears are can help us learn to embrace change. And the bottom line is that being afraid saps a lot of energy—energy that could be applied to more constructive activities.

You can train yourself to deal with the unexpected, and to thrive from its excitement, instead of being overwhelmed by its stress. You can design experiences in your life that are fun and challenging, but that, at the same time, train you to respond positively to stress. Sporting activities, games of strategy, and musical performance are just a few examples. Confronting change in a controlled environment will help develop your abilities to face it constructively out in the wide world.

Change can be dealt with using many rules of thumb, just a few of which are listed below. Keep them in mind the next time you’re confronted with transition.

1. Take the bull by the horns. Change will trample you if you don’t learn to assert yourself. Of course, change is an imposing enemy, since it sets the rules of the game, dishing out the unexpected at every step, always keeping you on your toes. Those who fail to anticipate its next move will find themselves always reacting, always on the defensive, always blocking punches instead of landing any of your own. Trying to foresee a variety of possible courses your life may take will help; if your forecasts are exhaustive enough, nothing will surprise you, and you’ll be able to react positively to whatever comes your way.

2. Look at the bright side. Try to eradicate your instinctively negative reaction to change. Transition can often send us into a spiral of negativity; one depressing and draining statement after another crowds our heads. “Things used to be so much better. I can’t possibly live like this. I’ll never learn to do this.” An author once defined human beings as “creatures with two legs who can get used to anything.” Don’t underestimate your power to adapt. Rephrase those negative statements as positives. “Let’s give the new way a chance. This is exciting. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for.” Learn to view every change as a stepping stone on the way to your goals.

3. Stick to your guns. Always chart out your course beforehand; if you remain committed to your goal, even while learning to be flexible in its attainment, you’ll deal with change more easily. Always keep your goal in sight, and don’t let any minor change distract you from it. By taking an active and positive approach, you’ll turn the tables on change, and compel it to work in your favor.

With these easy axioms, you can train yourself to become a grand strategist on the battlefield of change.

More on this topic from Success Elixir Blog archive:

• Confronting Life’s Most Challenging Changes
• Embracing Change By Employing the Approach of Science
• Can People Really Change for the Better?
• How to Stop Bad Habits? (Purging Your System of Bad Habits)
• How Can You Deal with Change Constructively?
• Change is a Challenge You Are Up To

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Photo by quapan, flickr.com.