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.

Get Past The Whole "Less Is More" Thing . . .

Most things aren't essential.

And we're all accustomed to the idea that "less is more."And we all agree that "quality is better than quantity."And we are all aligned with the idea that we should "work smarter and not harder."But yet we revolve back to the idea of doing more, outputting more, and producing more--at least, I certainly do.

So what to do?

Reflect.You can allocate 20% of your time (or less at first) to not "doing" things, but taking in new information, verbally processing your thoughts, or giving yourself space to think. The other 80% can still be allocated for good, old fashioned hard work.Structured reflection time is valuable because it can help you zoom out, look at the big picture and remember WHY you're doing what you're doing.It affords you the time to observe your own narrative, question yourself, and refocus on what's important to you in your current stage of life.Working hard in one direction is no good if you find out it's the wrong direction 20 years later.

2 Minute Action

Try a few of these quick methods to get out of the noisy, in-the-trenches work and recalibrate on what's essential.MediateWrite in a journal about what's going on right now.Plan a day-long (or longer) time to turn off your phone and draw out your current goals or visions for the future.Mark off a regular time to read a helpful book or listen to a useful podcast.

A Common Reason Resolutions Are Ineffective

It's a fresh start.A clean slate.The funny thing is that you can make a clean slate whenever you want.The sun comes up every day.That's the most high-frequency slate-wiper I know of.

So why do we wait until January to make a resolution?

You're in control.You can decide whenever you want.The new year is just a good excuse.It's up to you to invent more good excuses--because this one only comes around every 365 days.It's the waiting for some arbitrary, made-up mile-marker that can slow so many people down.It's the other 364 days on your revolution around the sun that actually matter.Today is just one of them.

More than 2 Minute Action:

You've probably got more than 2 minutes to reflect, today.Take some extra time to sit by yourself and compare last year's goals and resolutions to this year's behaviors.What matches?Comment here and let me know what you will be doing differently this year to achieve new results.