Life Coaching Designs
Design Your Best Life

In order to accept change and the suffering it brings, we need to find meaning in it~
Mary Norton Gordon

Dear “Design Your Best Life” family,

Well summer is almost over and fall is on the horizon. There is something about the
change of season that gets me excited. Believe me I love summer and going to miss
it but I am looking forward to the cooler weather, the leaves changing colors, pumpkin
patches and football! Also, this fall is a little different for me because my 3 year is
starting pre-school for the first time-so happy she is growing up and turning into a
wonderful little girl but also a little sad that time is just going by so quickly L
Nonetheless, changes whatever they are, can be exciting, scary and sad all at the
same time.

So this made me think more about changes and how many of us react to change.
Referring to my example above regarding seasonal changes-some people are ready
to leave summer behind and welcome fall and others want to hold on to it as long as
they can. It is just like the changes going on in our lives-some of us resist them while
others embrace change.

Whatever our thoughts are about change the important piece is our reactions to it. I
think it is human nature for our first reaction to be frustration, anger or fear. For
some, change may always be exciting and fun but for the most part people seem to
resist it at first.

There is no one strategy that works for dealing with change but what is important are
your feelings about change. These changes are a fact of life ESPECIALLY in today’s
day and age (technology, recession, job changes etc.). So how do you deal with
change? Do you resist it at first, resist it all the time or do you always just go with the
flow and don’t let change bother you? Well depending on how you react to change
below are a few ideas that may be helpful for dealing with change.

  • Acceptance. First and foremost, we all need to accept the fact that change is
    inevitable and we WILL encounter it throughout our lives. Once we can get this
    idea of acceptance programmed into our minds we will not be so shocked or
    surprised when changes do occur. We may even be well prepared for when it
    happens!

  • Let it sink in. Again, change is bound to happen and once we accept this fact
    we can now work on adapting to change. It is essential to give yourself some
    time to think about the changes and weigh out the pros and cons. What will
    this change mean for you? What will it mean for your family, friends or co-
    workers? Reflect upon the new changes before making any quick judgments or
    decisions.

  • Learn from others. Somewhere someone has probably dealt with the
    changes you are facing. Don’t deal with these changes alone. Seek out help
    and ask others who have been through it. Find out what worked for them and
    how they handled these challenges. Not only can you learn some great
    strategies but you won’t feel so alone knowing others have been there before.

  • Values. As mentioned in many of my other writings your core values are
    instrumental in dealing with change. In order to effectively deal with change
    you need to ask yourself if these new changes and the decisions you are
    making regarding these changes align with who you are. If not, you should
    rethink your decisions. Some questions to ask:

  • If you were to fully live your life what changes would need to occur?
  • What is your life really about?
  • What is missing from your life? What would make it more satisfying?
  • What makes you happy and brings joy to your life?

Well that is it for now. Keep in mind that dealing with change does not have to be
scary or frustrating. It is all about how we think about change and what we do once
change occurs. If we can keep the above points in mind, stay open-minded and keep
calm, positive outcomes can result from change. (to view past newsletters click here)

If you are interested in learning more about what coaching is I invite you take
advantage of a FREE life coaching session with me. Please either contact me at:
erin@lifecoachingdesigns.com or check out my website to learn more about what a
FREE session can do for you: http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com






Also feel free to check out http://www.thecircle.org I am a mentor under boost your
career circle. My latest blog is about Employers hiring again: http://www.thecircle.
org/hire
Newsletter-Dealing with Change
September 2009
Be on the look-out for our group coaching program which is arriving soon.
Many self-improvement topics and career areas will be covered. For many
individuals, group coaching is a great alternative to one-on-one coaching.
Stay tuned for details!! :-)