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| Cleaning out my office before our move |
I love change. Wait, let me clarify. I love change when it means something new and exciting, and I choose what it is…when it happens…what it involves…how it affects me. Yes, it’s all about me. Change by choice. Yes, that’s more like it! It’s refreshing to choose to get involved a new project that I’ve been looking forward to working on, get a change of scenery and temp by going on a warm-weather vacation about now, or spend time getting to know a new friend.
But what about change and the associated transitions that I didn’t choose…or didn’t expect…or might like but not right now…or never stop coming? Now, that can lead to change fatigue and be exhausting mentally, emotionally and physically.
I really have done my part to keep life reasonably steady in the last couple of years. Same husband. Same kids. Same house. Same job. But then there’s been unexpected change...not all bad, but not on my plan—a new parent company for my firm, lots to learn in my work with health care reform, new neighbors, the loss of some people I was close to, the economic downturn with all its ripples, the exponential growth of social media and the associated messages coming at us, a daughter moving to college, a new volunteer task force, and on and on. Even though I desire to move forward, something in me still wants to hang on to the musical chair behind me. It’s not that I want everything to be slow and boring. It’s just that the pace and sheer volume of change can leave me feeling like a gerbil on a wheel that eventually propels me into bed each night.
My coworkers and I are in the process of packing up our offices to move to a different location. Yesterday afternoon when I was packing and pitching files, I had a mental flashback to the day I walked into that office space on my first day with the company 14 years ago—actually almost to the day that we’ll move. In some ways, that day seems like yesterday. In other ways, so much has changed in the business world and in my personal life that it seems like a lifetime ago. But now it’s time for a physical change and the opportunity to get to know people in other parts of our business in our new location. So it’s exciting in many respects, but still change.
So how can we elegantly navigate life through the rapids of change? At times, I take it in stride. Other times, I become unglued! I honestly don’t have the answers and would love to here what’s working for you. Here are some things I’m learning:
But what about change and the associated transitions that I didn’t choose…or didn’t expect…or might like but not right now…or never stop coming? Now, that can lead to change fatigue and be exhausting mentally, emotionally and physically.
I really have done my part to keep life reasonably steady in the last couple of years. Same husband. Same kids. Same house. Same job. But then there’s been unexpected change...not all bad, but not on my plan—a new parent company for my firm, lots to learn in my work with health care reform, new neighbors, the loss of some people I was close to, the economic downturn with all its ripples, the exponential growth of social media and the associated messages coming at us, a daughter moving to college, a new volunteer task force, and on and on. Even though I desire to move forward, something in me still wants to hang on to the musical chair behind me. It’s not that I want everything to be slow and boring. It’s just that the pace and sheer volume of change can leave me feeling like a gerbil on a wheel that eventually propels me into bed each night.
My coworkers and I are in the process of packing up our offices to move to a different location. Yesterday afternoon when I was packing and pitching files, I had a mental flashback to the day I walked into that office space on my first day with the company 14 years ago—actually almost to the day that we’ll move. In some ways, that day seems like yesterday. In other ways, so much has changed in the business world and in my personal life that it seems like a lifetime ago. But now it’s time for a physical change and the opportunity to get to know people in other parts of our business in our new location. So it’s exciting in many respects, but still change.
So how can we elegantly navigate life through the rapids of change? At times, I take it in stride. Other times, I become unglued! I honestly don’t have the answers and would love to here what’s working for you. Here are some things I’m learning:
- REMEMBER and process the past. Shakespeare once wrote, "He that lacks time to mourn, lacks time to mend." In the normal course of my life, I'm consciously allowing myself to think back to the days when our girls were around more, grieve my friend, Nancy, and even miss the good ol' days when the pace of change seemed more manageable. I'm finding that it's important for me to reflect back so I can move forward.
- PROCESS with friends who understand. We're not alone. Wahoo! Sometimes it's helpful just to vent and find out what works for others.
- STAY steady in who I am—my faith, my values, my family. Irene Peter, an American epigrammmatist (whatever that is!), once wrote, “Just because everything is different doesn’t mean that anything has changed.” I remember once asking my dad why he had so many routine habits and why he kept his office and closets so neat and decluttered. He said it was because so much of owning a business and farming was out of his control so he controlled what he could to offset the uncertainty. For the first time in my life, I understand what he meant.
- MOVE forward in the face of uncertainty. I'd prefer complete clarity and certainty before moving forward. Like that's going to happen! In an article on the HBR Blog Network, Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggests that, "Uncertainty is one of the primary reasons that people resist change...Motivating people to try something new, or to get on with innovation is tough when the rules of the game are up in the air." The truth is that I need to make decisions, lead and follow in the rapids of life. I find that it helps to have some semblance of a plan. I know it will change, but editing seems less daunting than starting from scratch at any hint of change.
What works for you in navigating change?
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