Growth is hard. Like, really hard. Often change comes at us when we least expect it, forcing us to stretch, grow, and learn new skills on the fly. Or you have goals and dreams that you want to achieve, but to get there means changing things up and doing things differently. Sometimes changing our routines and what works right now can feel scary, or even impossible.
Often once we look back on the challenges we faced we can see that we’ve arrived with new wisdom and knowledge that we didn’t have before. Maybe it wasn’t as hard as we expected. Maybe now you realize that you’re capable of so much more than you thought you could handle.
So where are you now on your own journey of growth? And how can you make growing and learning easier to get through?
1.) Awareness
This one is the easiest. You know that something isn’t working. Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or something that used to be helpful or make sense isn’t anymore.
When you’re in this stage, start thinking about what changes you need to make. What would your ideal situation be?
2.) Resistance
This is people get stuck. It’s often easier to stay resistant to growing and shifting than it is to move forward.
You’re in resistance mode if you:
- Find any reason or excuse not to make a shift
- Your excuse to not making a change has been solved, but suddenly there is another one
- You start making light of the situation; it really isn’t that bad right?
- You ask everyone for advice, but fail to take any advice or make a change
- You’re angry, frustrated, or feel like there’s no hope
- You self sabotage any attempts to make a change
Yikes those sounded harsh! But don’t worry. Everyone goes through these things and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or that you can’t move forward. Sometimes this is a phase that we just gotta get through.
If you’re feeling stuck, as in, really really stuck, life coaching can help. How? Life coaching helps us change our perspective, challenges the beliefs we have around a situation, and create a solid game plan for moving forward.
3.) Acceptance
You might have danced around the problem and resisted a bit, but now the excuses are gone. You’re ready to make a real change, and you know that it’s for the better. You’re in this phase if:
- You’re starting to plan your next move
- You’ve dropped your excuses
- You’re okay with having some discomfort
- You might feel scared, nervous, or anxious but you are determined despite it
- You know that the new norm after you make a change will be worth it
4.) Trial and Error
Guess what? Just because we know that something needs to change doesn’t mean it’s a one step solution.
Don’t get discouraged if you’ve tried something and it doesn’t work. Part of growth is this process- failure is often how we learn.
You might be in this phase if you are:
- Changing things up
- Stepping out of your comfort zone
- Making shifts and making things happen
- Working with new boundaries around your time and energy
This phase is also another area where life coaching can help, especially if you feel like you can’t find a solution that works.
5.) Success
Success! You’ve overcome the challenge and learned more from it. Your problem is solved, or at least mostly solved. You’re adjusting to a new way of doing things. You’ve got more experience under your belt for future challenges.
Make sure to celebrate growing and accomplishing this change!