Learn Steps Needed To Make Change

Rhonda Abrams At Gannett News Service:

I once saw a handwritten note over a jar for tips: “If you fear change, leave it here.”

To some extent, we all fear change. Yet, to survive in business (as in all of life) we have to learn how to change — and be willing and able to change when necessary.

Think of change as a series of steps, including:

Your attitude. You can’t make a change if you don’t believe you can succeed. In this stage, you start saying to yourself, “This is going to happen; I can make this work. I can succeed.” Begin to reframe what you’ve seen as permanent obstacles into challenges that can be dealt with.

Your goals. Consider what you want to achieve. Are your goals specific? Most importantly, are they realistic, especially in the time frame you’d like? Do you just need to make some changes in your current business that might be able to happen in a matter of months? If you have to totally re-establish your business, let’s face it, that might take a year or more.

Your plan. Think through the steps necessary to achieve your goals and decide on an action plan. By thinking through a plan, you’re able to convert your somewhat hazy desires into specific objectives, connected to specific, realistic actions you can take.

Commitment. You make a definite commitment to your goals and a clear decision to act on your plan. It’s helpful to begin to visualize yourself actually making these changes and achieving your desired results.

Action. You have to act now on the goals and plan you’ve committed to. This won’t be easy. It might take a commitment of funds — it certainly will take a commitment of your time and focus.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and you may not achieve all the goals you set. But remember, things won’t change if you don’t change.

Photo by Luis Montemayor.

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