How Constant And Gradual Change Can Enhance Your Life
Change. People seem to go through life either loving or hating it; resisting or embracing it. Ultimately, both kinds of people will inevitably endure change, they will survive it and grow, or they will survive it and regress. Those are the slim choices change leaves one to consider.
I wonder, instead of an article about drastic and dramatic change, if perhaps all we need to do is be open to even small incremental degrees of change.
I was driving, as I do, and noticed in a sort of dumbstruck awe the actual capacity of power steering in my car. I know it’s not rocket science, but what was so amazing was that I could move my steering wheel a single degree and my entire path started to change. Not novel or profound but relevant and necessary, especially in the quickly growing times of today.
The concept of slow and constant change is not as much about changing our direction entirely, as it is about embracing the universal truth of change.
That out of all the subjective truths in the self-help realm, and the larger societal realm in general, there is objective clarity and truth in change.
It’s something we can depend and count on.
Taking on the following three guidelines and systemically implementing them into concrete habit will do many things, among the most prevelant:
- It will help you to become more receptive and adapt quicker to any changes that may happen to you, good or bad.
- It will enhance your creativity and ability to repeatably innovate.
- It will grow your knowledge and capacity for it ten-fold.
It will help you anticipate what might happen next quicker and more accurately than others who are less receptive to this truth.
The key is not resisting. When I was younger, I would hear some people say how they don’t like change and don’t want anything to do with it. I began to think that there are two kinds of people, ones that like change and ones that don’t and that’s okay. I disagree with this now.
I’m not here to tell you what is and isn’t okay. But again,
There is objectivity in change. It is black and white. You either embrace it or you envelop. You either grow or you fall behind.
So I suppose if the latter is acceptable for you, than it really is okay. But I doubt if you’re on Medium that you are ready and willing to fall behind.
Some of the most successful people and businesses in the world have created the habit of change in their lives. They goes as far as to manifest it to reinvent themselves, to keep themselves sharp, and to learn more.
What I’ve gathered is that with embracing change there are 3 keys to making it a positive in your life instead of a negative.
1. Flexibility
The sooner you get used to change, the quicker you’ll adapt to it in when it happens. Because the world is in a constant state of flux, it only makes sense to arm yourself with the equipment and mentality to endure it.
The people and companies we see “turning their wheels a degree” not only survive, but thrive. Take Sony for example. This is a company who was once the most powerful brand name in consumer electronics. I mean, we practically all had a Sony discman at some point in the 90s.
What the company failed and refused to do during the technological evolution, was evolve with it. It resisted change, and suffered the consequence. Brands like Apple and Microsoft rose to the challenge, accepted change was coming, and viewed it as an opportunity.
This was an unwillingness to turn the wheel. It’s not even so much about changing with the “times” as it is about rebranding yourself in congruence with your changing identity. I don’t know about you, but I am not who I was five years ago; I’ve changed in the last year and plan to do so as I grow older.
Change will happen inevitably, but your personal evolution can only take place if you open your mind up to the phenomena and become flexible to the possibilities.
2. Self-Transparency
This is a willingness to be honest with yourself.
To ruthlessly evaluate your level of stagnation at any given point. What’s helping me right now? What’s hurting me? Am I receptive to change or do I like where I am at? What are the steps I can take to create new, more productive habits?
Self-transparency is difficult because it requires self-criticism, constructive at that, but still criticism none the less.
Ellen is a great example of self-transparency. Besides obvious reasons, she embraced and encouraged change in the face of fear and scrutiny.
There really isn’t a teacher or parent who will guide your every move. The earlier you become honest with your flaws and knowing where your weakness are, the faster and more willing you will be able to adapt and evolve.
Tony Robbins is a big inspiration to me and is a great example of self-transparency, if you’re open with yourself, you will see where your priorities are and what needs attention in your life.
3. Direction (In the first place)
All this would be a waste to say if you did not have a direction in the first place. This is not to say that you need to know where you’re going in life at the moment; instead to take an honest evaluation of your priorities, actions, and goals, and see the general direction in which you’re headed.
If you need to learn from great writers on Medium, read. If you want to be a Wall Street guru, learn from the best. The same goes with every profession. To find your hearts yearning is not always cut-n-dry. Actually, most times it’s not.
I recommend reflecting on your previous high success achievements, ones that you may not have thought anything of. Sometimes what you’re great at is staring you right in the face.
Having a general direction in the first place will generate a pathway for further twists and turns along the way.
This general direction unique to you will facilitate personal evolution to achieve the goal at the end of the road.
The point isn’t to start loving change, it’s to accept it. To loosen up control. Control is in contrast to be more in control. It’s anticipation and readiness. Turning your wheel of life will shake up the mundane, it will cause any loose ends and priorities lost to the business of life to be shown again.
I encourage you to create change in your life. Try that Barre class you see on your way to work, or join the adult softball team on the weekends, maybe apply for graduate school. Shake. It. Up.
Life will shake it up anyways, so why not. #amirite
_______________________________________________________
Thank you for reading and best of luck ❤ Your friend, Jessalyn.
