The 3 Critical Stages To Conquer Any Upsetting Change

Here is the fastest route available to dealing with difficult change:

1 - Awareness

This is the stage where you realize the reality of what's happening around you. This is where you understand the impact and consequences that change has brought.

2 -  Acceptance

This is when you realize that what's real is real and thinking about it or wishing it wasn't true doesn't actually improve anything. You can't go back in time and this is the turning point when you adapt to reality and become ready to move on.

3 - Action

This is the stage where you are back in motion. You are moving with the waves and toward a new destination or vision. Even if you don't have a vision yet, you know you have to start somewhere and this is you in motion.It's these critical 3 steps that you must move through unpredictable or difficult change.That's it.Now that you know, it's up to you to figure out how to move faster through them.How to do that?Identify the phase in which you take the longest amount of time, and start there.

2 Minute Action

For me, it's the second step that takes the longest. I, like many others, tend to ruminate on what could be, what I could have done, or what I should have done. Reflecting and analyzing is helpful, but ruminating and dwelling is non-productive and time-consuming.What's your weak point out of these three?Reply, forward, comment, and let me know!The more we share these weaknesses, the better able we are to address and strengthen them.

The Part of Perfectionism Everyone Struggles With

If I’m being honest with you, writing every day is hard.

Especially considering the parameters I gave myself.

Each post must:

1. Be in my own voice
2. Have my unique viewpoint
3. Be quickly digestible
4. Be actionable

When I committed to writing every day, I realized that this was big.

Coming up with a fresh concept, in my own words, that was easy to consume, and that also demanded a discrete action that could be achieved in 2 minutes or less is a pretty difficult challenge.

So, what happened?

Sometimes posts didn’t go out at the right time. I travel a lot so timezones have messed with my automated triggers that send out emails and tweets.

Sometimes I am finishing my workday at a weird hour and I’m exhausted—but I still have to write. It’s painful.

Sometimes I miss typos, fail to get the point across or make the post too short to really communicate the point.

Basically, I fail a lot.

And however much I fail, it feels like I’m failing 10 times that.

The point isn’t to make it perfect. Well, at least not today. Or tomorrow.

The point is to constantly approach the upper limit.

The point is to ride the asymptote of improvement as far over to perfect as I can.

The only way to do that is by writing, reviewing, adapting, testing, getting feedback, and writing again.

The other part is to accept that people are going to criticize what you’re doing, especially you. In fact, you are often your own worst critic.

This is the case for writing and it’s the case for everything else.

There’s no substitute for consistently doing the work.

And you’re not allowed to beat yourself up.

2 Minute Action

What’s something that you’ve been meaning to improve in your life?

• Exercise?
• Marketing your brand?
• Motivating your volunteers?
• Energizing your students in the morning?

Here are some things you can do right now in 2 minutes or less:

1. Do burpees for 2 minutes straight. If you can’t, do 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
2. Send out an email to past clients and ask them to write a testimonial for your brand.
3. Pick a measurable outcome that volunteers can see. If they can see how well they’re doing, they are more likely to improve.
4. Google “fun facilitation exercises” like “rock, paper, scissors, posse.” You have the whole internet at your fingertips.

The 3 Steps To Get Past Ruminating

Today, I was overcome with anger.I was faced with an outcome I had no control over.I couldn't control it. I couldn't change it. I couldn't delete it.

I actually stopped being productive almost my entire evening. It totally shut me down.

The hard part isn't preventing these things or figuring out how to control them in the moment. There are many things that are impossible to prevent or control.

The hard part is accepting them and moving on quickly.

The good news is that you get another shot at life every day.The sun continues to rise and provide a brand new start.It's up to you to accelerate your acceptance and adjust to reality.If you can't do it by yourself, enlist support.

There is no return-on-investment for ruminating.

There are 3 main steps to moving from uncontrollable problem to controllable solution:

1. Awareness.
2. Acceptance.
3. Action.

You have the power to get yourself back in the saddle.

2 Minute Action

Give yourself the pep talk.Have you ever done this before?Pull yourself aside.Go for a walk, step into the restroom, or sit in your car for a second.Give yourself 2 minutes to accept what's going on around you as reality and give yourself permission to get back on the horse.