Changes are normal. In fact, it’s until now believed that change is the only thing permanent in this world.
Sounds cliche, but at least it is true. Right?
I WAS FORCED TO DO BIG CHANGES
I want to talk about two events in my life that have forced me to make big changes.
How can some events force someone to make big changes? Well, for one, I know that the situation is one that I couldn’t take in the long run.
1. BIG CHANGES IN MY SCHEDULE
I was given an opportunity to host my own show on Stress Management and of course, I took it (because why not?! It’s a great one!) and I used to have this show every Thursday at 4 pm CET.
I kind of rearranged everything around me automatically because I so much wanted to do it, and I still very much want to do it – but it started interfering with different things in my life.
I then realized that 4 pm on a Thursday afternoon is actually a time when other things just keep on popping up (my 5-year-old granddaughter who we babysit, some work needed to be done at the healthcare clinic which makes me stay at a hotel nearby, and yada yada yada…)
So yes, there were a lot of things I haaaaave to figure out every time instead of me just focusing on thinking about the topics I’ll talk about and giving value. You get it.
And yeah now I bet you know where this is going…
A BIG CHANGE IN MY SCHEDULE.
So from Thursdays at 4 pm CET, I now do my shows on Mondays 8 pm CET. A big change but hey, I can now see my full week ahead and there are no more interfering schedules. What a way to relieve stress long-term, right? 😉 A change for the better, as you see.
2. CAREER CHANGES…
I know, it already sounds scary as it is – but we’ll be surprised with the number of factors one can be forced to take this very big and bold move (yes, it is bold because you’re brave enough to face uncertainties, and start over).
To tell you my story, 10 years ago – I was working as a Doctor at a healthcare clinic full-time, and I have three beautiful kids who were still living at home with me and had all kinds of activities they needed to attend (sports, music, etc.), and of course, as their parents – we have to take them despite the fact that we’re both working full-time.
(Shout out to all the moms out there, I know you know where this is going)…
Staying longer in the above schedule, I know my body couldn’t take it anymore as I am always feeling stressed, tired, and overwhelmed…
SO I TOOK A COURSE IN STRESS MANAGEMENT.
Yes, I didn’t know what to do so I looked for help! And it was a really intensive course tbh – 2 days packed with info, knowledge, testing, and all the lessons we exactly needed being the overworked people in the middle of our careers.
It got my interest so much that I dug deeper and even got to a longer course (3 months), and there I learned the ins and outs of stress management – which one day got me into thinking – “I am a Doctor, and most of my patients come in due to stress-related illnesses – so why don’t I prevent them from coming in my clinic instead?” – and yeah, you may now insert the famous saying “Prevention is better than cure”, again, cliche but true.
And thus…
The birth of my business – askdrannika.com. Now I am a businesswoman, I handle my own time, I was able to see my children grow, and now able to watch my granddaughter grow. 🙂
So yes, again, a change for the better – isn’t it? 😉
MY BIGGEST TIPS ON COPING WITH CHANGES
I know changes could be hard. When we’re used to something, we feel like we’re inside the “safe zone”, and I admit, it’s scary to get out of our own comfort zones. But the stories I shared proved that there are good things in the end waiting, we just have to take that first step.
Having dealt with a lot of big changes, and as a Stress Management Strategist and Mentor, I suggest you try the following:
1. LOOK BIGGER
One of the most common mistakes we commit when a change is necessary, is we react before we even think. We look at it with the “Uh, it will mess up my routine and it’s gonna be hard” thing, instead of “Exciting, where will this change take me?”
Always remember to look at the bigger picture.
2. SIT AND WRITE YOUR NEW ROUTINE
I cannot stress enough how important planning ahead and writing your routine is. We get messed up and it’s okay, we get disorganized and it’s okay. It’s not easy to move like a robot without following some structure, right?
It’s always easier with a checklist – you just gotta look at your list, tick the box of what’s done and proceed to the next, then tick the box again.
Changes can be complicated, but there are ways we can do to make the complicated easier. There’s a big change? Great. Sit down and revise your routine.
3. REFLECT AND ACT
Analyze before you react, and action is better than just a reaction! Take a look at where you are today vs. where you want to be someday. What is lacking? What’s in the middle?
Reflecting is always important before you plan any action you’re going to take. If you already know where you want to be someday and the things to do to get there, the fear of making changes is lessened because we know where we’re headed.
Got lost along the way? Sit back, reflect again, and decide whether to make a U-turn or go straight ahead. The road can be bumpy, but at least, soon you know you’re getting there. 🙂
4. EMBRACE THE UNCERTAINTIES
With changes, come uncertainties – but if we do not learn how to embrace them, we might never move forward.
Remember when I said how scary it is to get out of our comfort zones? It’s because we do not know what may or may not come, but hey…
Outside our comfort zones is where we grow – as we pull something out of our pockets we never know have been there ever since, or out of the box as we get creative. 🙂
5. REMEMBER THAT MISTAKES ARE NORMAL
Last but not the least, always always remember how mistakes are normal. You stay where you are because you’re afraid to do something wrong – but committing mistakes is always an important part of everybody’s journey, it’s inevitable. Those successful people you look up to? Oh boy, they’ve made not one, but many. 🙂
Behind all the mistakes never committed are the lessons never learned. 😉
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
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To your success and keep smiling,
