When you stop to think it through there is no other option in life besides change. Without change things get stagnant and are doomed for failure.
Of course, we would all like for change to be in the form of growth – BUT growth can be a painful process. I don’t remember having growing pains in my youth, but I do remember having friends that would lay in bed and moan because their legs hurt so badly. I have certainly been through many stages of emotional growing pains in life and at the time I would probably have changed it if I could have.
I came across this fun way to explain some of the things that can help you to respond to change in a positive manner.
Vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan must all work together in order to effectively grow through and benefit from the change in life. There are different synonyms that could take the place of any of these, but these are a good representation of areas to consider and sure up when change comes knocking.
Vision – Without proper vision nothing will ever come to fruition. So many times I have seen a person with talent, good looks, money, and charisma flounder because they did not have a vision for where they were going in life. Vision is the ability to see the end result of today’s actions. That vision must guide the choices that you make today in order for you to reach success. The Bible credits a lack of vision with the destruction of a society. When vision is absent confusion is present and people lose the ability to work together to respond to change.
Skills – A mechanic without the proper tools will be completely helpless at a repair job that would otherwise be a very simple process for him. When a person is presented with a problem and does not have the tools necessary for the solution it brings feelings of despair and anxiety. What could be accomplished with the aid of a simple tool becomes a mountain that cannot be crossed without it and the mountain looms larger every time it is viewed.
Incentives – Ever been in a meeting where someone was starting to feel that the responsibility being discussed was going to end up falling in their lap? A litany of points about how this goal could never be achieved begins fall from their lips. A responsibility with no perceived incentive will always be resisted by those who are being called upon to accept the responsibility.
Resources – Trying to cope with change or accomplish a goal without the necessary resources is a recipe for frustration. Most times we can get a hold of the resources we need if we are willing to think creatively.
Action Plans – Without a plan of action a project will start and be postponed, sometimes inevitably. An essential part of every planning process is to take the time necessary to outline a project and the necessary milestones and components required to complete the project. Execution will not be successful if there is no plan to follow. One of the best ways to start any project is to remove all distractions and sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and sketch out at least a rough outline. There is something liberating about “pencil and paper” time.
Next time you are presented with a change over which you have no control instead of experiencing the negative results of confusion, anxiety, resistance, frustration, and false starts, evaluate the situation and find out what components need to be addressed in order to arrive at success. Many times what seems insurmountable is only an issue of correcting our mindset and thinking through the small components of a scenario to find and address minor problems. When you can effectively evaluate and overcome problems you will be looked to as a leader.
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