Embracing Change
Years ago, when I was learning about Change Management in a training program at Philip Morris, the instructor said that the only person who liked change was a wet baby.
Several years later, I became a parent, and I discovered that even wet babies don’t like change. My daughter never wanted to take time out of her busy playing schedule to have her diaper changed. Luckily I was stronger than she was.
Over time, I discovered something about myself. I actually like change. Mind you, I don’t like change sprung on me. But as long as I have time to think about it and prepare myself for it, I embrace it. During my corporate career, whenever I saw an unpleasant change coming down the pike, I engineered a different change for myself, one that was more to my liking.
The reason why change is on my mind right now is that I am in the middle of having work done on my apartment. Every room is being painted, and we are also having some improvements done. This is week 3 of what was supposed to be a three-week project, but it’s clear that we are going to need at least a fourth week, and maybe a fifth.
Since I work from home, I’m spending a lot of my time surrounded by chaos. I’m including a photo of what my living room looks like today. My office is in the other corner of my living room, so this is my new view. But I don’t mind. I’m actually quite excited because I know it’s going to look great when it’s done!
My husband and daughter think I am nuts, and would have been just as happy to leave things as they were. They groaned audibly when I announced that we were going to have the apartment painted. But as each room is finished, they (grudgingly) admit how much nicer it looks.
My dog Taffy is clearly not happy with all the changes going on. Right now she is hiding under my desk and sitting on my foot. I think we can all relate to her instinct to hide and to cuddle up to something familiar.
In my work with clients, I find so many of them struggling to accept change. Change is inevitable. Practice accepting change by initiating change yourself. Instead of looking at what you are going to lose, try to focus on what you will gain.