Friday, March 6, 2009

Moving On: A Guide to Making the Most of Changes

. Friday, March 6, 2009

by: Cindy Swiantek

When things begin to change it sometimes can be very difficult to adapt. Many people are uncomfortable with change because they have become accustomed to the way that things are now. This familiarity and comfort can lead to them going through additional turmoil when changes begin because they are resisting the transition. Some changes will be good and some will be bad, but for the most part changes tend to be able to go either way; whether they end up being positive or negative is largely dependent upon how a person handles them as they come and whether they are willing to accept the change for what it is.

Reasons for Change

Of course, there are a great many different reasons why things may change. Perhaps the company that you work at is undergoing a major upheaval or a change in management or ownership, or maybe you're simply moving to a new job or being transferred to a new city. You might be laid off, you might quit due to a disagreement with new policies, or the place that you are working might simply close down. The changes might originate in your personal life or in your career, but whatever they are it's up to you to make sure that they work out as well as they possibly can.

Making a Smooth Transition

The key to dealing with change and making sure that the end result is as beneficial to you as possible is making a smooth transition from the way things were to the way that they are now. This isn't always easy to do, especially in the case of major change, but by telling yourself that you're going to see things through to the end and try to make things as easy as you can for yourself and those around you it's possible to ease the transition at least a bit and make yourself more willing to accept the end result. Even when the change that you're experiencing is decidedly negative it's in your best interest to try and make a smooth transition… this way you will be more prepared for the new situation and will be able to turn around quicker so as to start changing things to a more positive situation.

Change as a Catalyst

There are a number of cases where change can be a very good thing in your life; sometimes a change is needed to break you out of a rut or to get things moving in your career or personal life. By allowing changes to enter your life, you can see where you are now as well as where you want to be so that you can begin working toward that goal. Often in these situations if there wasn't imposed change then you may not have had the inspiration or motivation to drive the change on your own. If you find yourself in such a situation that requires a change on your part, initiate it. Help yourself to get out of the rut.

Accepting Change as it Comes

Change is inevitable, and as much as you might try to fight against it you'll find that nothing can be done to keep it from coming. The best thing that you can do in life is to adopt a positive attitude toward change so that when it comes you will be ready to try and find the hidden opportunities and positive aspects of the changes in your career and your life. By embracing change you can help to keep yourself from getting hindered by it, and may even open yourself up to positive results that you wouldn't have expected otherwise.

free counters