Is fear of change holding you back?

Is there something in your life that you would love to change, but, you don't know how to start, or, you fear the outcome not being what you expected, or the real "biggie" - what if I fail?

Well, what if you don't fail?  What if that change opens up your life in a way you couldn't possibly have imagined?

Sometimes change is inflicted upon us; redundancy, unexpected illness, relationship breakdown etc. and that places it outside of our control, which is scary.

What if you made the change first and put yourself back in the driving seat? If you know that your employer is struggling and job losses have been implied - don't wait for the axe to fall, start job searching for that great new job now. Employers much prefer to recruit someone who is already in a job rather than someone who is unemployed and who knows where you skill set could take you?

Are you doing something that you know is detrimental to your health? Poor diet, over consumption of alcohol, smoking, drug taking etc. As human beings if we are doing something that gives us instant gratification we are very good at choosing not to see future implications and consequences of what we are doing but again that puts us into the category of risking a change that is out of our control. Making dietary changes now or enrolling in a stop smoking programme or whatever fits your particular desire will put you in charge of your healthy future and you'll be surprised at the beneficial side effects such as better mood, improved concentration, more energy and a whole host more of physical benefits that the body gives you once you start to eliminate the habits it doesn't want you to have.

And relationships - the excuses for staying in bad relationships is endless "It used to be great once, I'm sure it can be again" or "I don't want to hurt his/her feelings" or "I can't afford to leave".  We are only on this planet for a limited period of time, do you really want to spend it relationships that are stifling, depressing, boring, or worse, frightening?

So, how do you prepare for change?  Well here are four key steps to get you started:

1. Recognise the need to change. There is something such as a "comfortable rut" that gets more uncomfortable with time. Don't keep you head in the sand, be brave and see your situation for what it really is.

2. Remember you don't always need to do it alone. List all your support and resources, i.e. friends, websites, a great coach!

3. Recognise your own abilities. Start now and list your top 10 skills. Examples on this list might be: 'good listener', 'tenacious', 'well organised' etc. Follow this with your qualifications and knowledge and then give yourself a good pat on the back. You should have filled a full A4 page and be starting to see yourself how others see you.

4. Set a date, a time and a method for when you are going to take you first step - and then just keep going.

Good luck - you can do it!

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Life Coach Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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