Navigating Change Well

What words come to mind when you think about change? Constant? Difficult? Good? Scary? Necessary? Maybe just… happening?

The truth is, change can be all of those things, depending on when it shows up and how it impacts us. When we think about change, it often falls into two lanes:

1. Change we opt for – the kind we opt into. We either get what we wanted, or we don’t.
2. Change that happens to us – the uninvited kind. We either like it, or we don’t.

Change we choose often begins with hope. We imagine a better job, a healthier lifestyle or a new opportunity. Change that happens to us is usually more disruptive. It interrupts routines, forces decisions, and often leaves us unsettled.

Whether we opted for the change or it’s change that happened to us, change always demands a response. I’m going through change, you’re going through change—no one escapes it.

Here’s the anchor worth holding onto: No matter the type, we can’t avoid change. But we can navigate it. While every change is unique, a few practices can help each of us move through it with resilience and clarity. Here are some things to consider:

1. Pause and process. Give yourself room to breathe before reacting. Evaluate whether you opted for the change or the change happened to you.
2. Separate controllable from uncontrollable. Separating the two give you clarity about what’s happening. This way, you can focus your energy where it makes a difference.
3. Adapt and learn. Every change, good or bad, carries lessons that shape us. Leaving room for adaptation and adjusting your response gives you a better handle on how you move forward in the face of the change.

As you navigate your own change, now or in the future, remember that you can’t avoid change. But you can navigate it.

If it’s change you opted for, take time to clarify your intentions and what you hope to gain from it. If it’s change that happened to you, work toward acceptance and look for the good in what’s ahead. There’s almost always an opportunity to grow.

PS: If you’d like to see a video version, click here.