Change is hard, especially when it’s prescribed by someone else or events out of our control. Having to learn how to navigate around a new platform can be frustrating. Adjusting to a new schedule or a different set of work assignments can feel overwhelming. Having to rebuild or relocate after your home is destroyed by fire is devastating. And being told aspects of our personalities or habits are flawed can be really hard to hear.
I’m no stranger to the struggles that come with change. I admit that I’ve postponed projects and software upgrades at work because I didn’t want to have to interrupt my normal workflow to stop and figure things out. There wasn’t anything wrong with the old way, so I wanted to delay changing as long as possible.
Get Past Being Stubborn, Lazy, Insecure And Focus On The Benefits
We all have a stubborn streak to some extent. We each tend to think we know what’s best for us, because after all nobody else knows everything that goes on in our heads except ourselves. But letting that streak take over everything we do can really impede our ability to grow.
It’s important to take a step back and take a fresh look at ourselves from the eyes of another at least once a year, if not more. I’ve had some great wake up calls this way about my own flaws through heart to hearts with friends and family. For example, my post What If You Lost Everything Except Your Career.
Try to focus on the benefits of change and keep an open mind every day. Stay flexible and don’t expect things to go perfectly because they won’t. Be accommodating, patient, and positive.
Quotes About Change That Will Help You Cope And Welcome The New
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. – Thomas A. Edison
It’s easy to make endless excuses about how we can’t change our situation unless we have a ton of resources or a lot of money. Edison reminds us that incredible things can result from scraps we have lying around. Make the most of what you have in the moment!
The best way out is always through. –Robert Frost
This is one of my favorite quotes about change. Whenever I feel overwhelmed and trapped, I remind myself that all I have to do is get through the next minute, hour, day, and things will be okay on the other side.
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid of only standing still. – Chinese proverb
We don’t have to make radical changes overnight to improve. Even little tiny tweaks can lead to big and better things. Avoid becoming frozen and refusing to change. Just take things slow instead if you’re scared or anxious.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference. – Reinhold Niebuhr
I couldn’t say this any better.
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe. – Abraham Lincoln
I think this is one of the most brilliant quotes about change. Preparation should always be taken into consideration before jumping straight onto a new task. Never underestimate devising a solid plan and thinking things through before pulling the trigger. It can save you from wasting a lot of time and sweat.
When you stretch yourself in what you’re afraid to do, the next challenge isn’t nearly as scary; the ground is more familiar. – Vickie L. Milazzo
The more we stay alert and dance around on our feet, the quicker and easier it is to react. I’ve learned this from taking tennis lessons!
The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. – Oprah Winfrey
Untemplate your mind. Look for the positives. You have more than you think!
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis
We’re never too old to change and start new things. It’s never too late to follow your heart.
At first glance it may appear too hard. Look again. Always look again. – Mary Anne Rodmacher
We’ve all been freaked out before when we’re presented with something new. Don’t let unfamiliar territory lock up your brain. Break things down into pieces you can understand and try again.
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. – Andre Gide
This is another one of my favorite quotes about change. Think back to all the incredible adventures, accomplishments, and discoveries people have made throughout history. And they did all of those things without the resources and technology that we have today. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith!
Be Supportive And Give Thanks
One thing to consider when you’re struggling with change is thinking about the point of view from your mentor, coach, teacher, friend, etc. It’s not easy being on the other side and trying to get someone to change their ways. I can relate with Sam’s frustrations that he writes about in his post The Secret To Never Being Frustrated, Disappointed, Or Offended Again. I’ve been trying to mentor and advise some of my close family members with money matters, and it’s been a stressful struggle.
Even though I have their best interests at heart, they mostly refuse to change and constantly come up with excuses. I can only offer so much of my time and energy, so I’ve had to stop caring as much and let them fail. It’s very painful when all you want to do is help someone, and all they respond with is to put a wall up, throw your words away, and rebel. I can empathize with parents of teenagers!
So if you have any mentors in your life or people who are trying to help you, please let them know you really appreciate their support and thank them for their efforts and time. Change isn’t just a personal struggle, it’s also a big challenge for those whose aim it is to get you to change!
Untemplaters, how do you cope with change? How have you learned to keep your stubborn streak in check? Do you have a favorite among the quotes about change?
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A good friend once told me, “The day you stop learning and changing is the day you die.” Nothing stays the same and most people know that, but it still doesn’t make it easy to have the best attitude about change. For me, I sometimes focus on the result as opposed to focusing on the thing that I may have to give up at that moment. It’s not supposed to be easy I guess, the most important thing is that you make it through in the most positive manner possible.
Thanks for this post.
Change is sometimes good for us, but not always. You mentioned your reluctance to update software since the old worked fine. Another reason for not updating software is that software vendors often release new software that is buggy or not fully tested. They hope there are no critical bugs, but they are driven by deadlines rather than by software completeness. Most software users do not want to be beta testers when the outcome of something they are working on relies on the software working correctly.
True point about buggy releases. I usually wait about 3-6 months after a release before doing a major upgrade on my personal laptop.
Dealing with change is often difficult because it usually means that I have to give up some control as I get out of my comfort zone and enter into something new and unknown.
Heraclitus wrote extensively about change; a favorite quote: “Nothing endures but change”.
Yeah giving up control is really hard to do. That’s something I struggle with too. We just have to remind ourselves that the uncomfortable parts are temporary and we will be able to regain control if we stick to it. That’ quote by Heraclitus is a good one! Change is inevitable!