06 May An A-Z of change: A is for Action!

Clients typically come to me at points of change and transition in their working lives.  I feel privileged to support them as they work through their hopes and fears and move to more fulfilling roles and positions.

The change process is different for every one of us, yet there are often consistent elements.  I’ve created an A-Z of change to help you make your next change a successful one.  Here’s the first instalment!

A is for Action

Whatever change you are considering, it will only happen if you take action.  Whilst it’s important to reflect and think about what you want to achieve, the change only starts when you make the first move.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”  Barack Obama

For example, when I was considering changing career I started by thinking about possible alternatives, but the change only became real once I decided to act.  I began by researching online the coaching profession which until then had only been a distant pipe-dream.  This led in turn to conversations and coffees, and ultimately to where I am today.

The first action need only be small – for me, it was a few minutes’ desk research.  But that tiny action crystallises major realisations: that the current situation does not satisfy you; that there are real alternatives; and that you can choose to change.

In technical terms, according to change experts such as Prochaska and DiClemente, action moves you away from “pre-contemplation” (basically daydreaming) towards “contemplation” (sizing up pros and cons) or even “preparation” (readying yourself for a planned change).

Many of us wait in the daydreaming stage for months or even years, telling ourselves that we’re too busy just now, it isn’t ‘the right time’, or ‘it’s all too difficult’.  Try fast forwarding a year: do you still want to be at the same level, in the same role, dealing with the current challenges? Or are you ready for promotion, new challenges, even a new career?

If you want to change, take one tiny action today, and another tomorrow, and another the day after – you won’t regret it.  And if you would like to have a conversation about support for your change, please get in touch!