The only thing that is a constant in life and in business is CHANGE.
Those who easily adapt flourish while those who resist loose valuable time they never get back, money and in extreme cases their business.
As technology and life as a whole evolve at an ever more rapid speed, entire industries have been made redundant because they weren’t able to adapt in time.
So if resisting change has potentially catastrophic consequences, why is it that we are so averse to it?
It has everything to do with fear and that applies to all areas of our life: Business, relationships, friendships, health.
Are you scared of change and is that what’s holding you back from making a move?
I was, too…
So much so that I stayed in a loveless and for a good number of years sexless marriage for way too long. 15 years to be exact…
Why?
Because I was scared to death that I couldn’t make it on my own.
You see I had moved to the United States from Austria to get married and live the “American Dream.”
And what I was most afraid of was that I’d have to go home with my tail in between my legs having to admit that I’m a complete and utter failure.
That brought up a great deal of SHAME.
I was terrified of what other people would say and think about me.
The judgment, the schadenfreude, the “I told you so’s…”
So, I stayed and stubborn me did everything that she could think of doing to ‘make things work’.
When you work on it hard enough, it must work, right?
WRONG!
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I bent over backward to PLEASE.
I tamed my spirit and conformed.
I put my own needs and desires on the backburner.
I became a CHAMELEON adjusting to my environment.
All of that BY CHOICE.
And in the process, I lost myself.
I was in COMPLETE DENIAL of my reality.
Then one day came the rude awakening, a head-on collision when he announced he was leaving.
I froze.
I became numb.
And then all hell broke loose.
I begged, I argued, I pleaded, I screamed, I cried because I was so scared of CHANGE.
For the first few weeks, it felt like I was dying.
I remember waking up in the morning and asking God why I was still breathing.
I couldn’t fathom that anybody much less me could endure this much pain and still live…
7 months later the fog cleared. I had come to terms with the end of my marriage when the proverbial other shoe dropped.
After a series of layoffs at the big Hollywood movie studio where I had been working was attempting to become a more nimble organization to meet the ever more challenging market conditions, I felt a growing sense of unfulfillment.
I had gotten bored and complacent with my role. My desire to get promoted had vained, and while on sabbatical doing Yoga Teacher Training in Mexico, I experienced a profound awareness.
I was coming out of an early morning meditation and as I opened my eyes I heard a voice speak to me loud and clearly.
“You have to move here.”
I still remember I felt excited and everything in my body and mind screamed YES —- only to crash and burn a few seconds later as the thought of “How is this ever going to happen?” popped into my head.
To keep it short, in this teacher training I met somebody who opened a door for me and I caught a glimpse of the HOW I actually could.
Fast forward 3 years.
It was decision time.
And there it was again the dreaded fear of CHANGE.
I wrestled with it for months.
I felt paralyzed and then push came to shove.
I walked into my boss’ office and when he saw the look on my face he knew.
He put his hands in front of his face and said:
“OMG, you’re leaving!”
As I heard the ‘Yes” come out of my mouth, I felt one of two things were about to happen because it was apparent to me at the time that had just committed financial suicide.
I mean how could I let go of a prestigious job at a Hollywood movie studio with 5 weeks paid vacation, a great 6-figure salary, benefits, a 401k plan and a certain level of freedom because of my seniority because I wanted to move to Mexico and focus on building my business…
I was either going to puke on the floor right then and there or
I was goint to faint.
My fear at this point had grown so big that it was unbearable but the cat was out of the bag, I had spoken the word and then my boss turned around and said:
“I’m so happy for you!”
I will never forget this because in this moment my body and mind relaxed and I felt a profound sense of peace, relaxation and serenity come over me.
We sat down and worked out a transition plan, one that allowed me to continue to work for the company for 5(!) more months as a full-time employee – REMOTELY from Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Previously unheard of in the company’s history.
This allowed me to build my business while still being supported by my “corporate investor.”
BUT…
The important part here is that all this happened because I made the decision to EMBRACE change and take action on it.
None of it would have happened, had I not.
Allowing myself to work with the fear and embrace change that is inevitable has allowed me to become the person I am today.
In that sense, change has served me well even though it was a scary and bumpy road at first…
I try to remember that when I get scared now because I have to change, adapt and grow.
What about you?
What scares you about change?
The truth is, things are always changing, nothing ever stays the same. We constantly evolve.
What would happen if you embraced change and boldly stepped into it?
How would that change the course of your life?
PS:| Are you looking to make a big change because you simply CANNOT bear any longer to settle for a life where you feel unfulfilled? If this is you, I want to talk to you.
Connect with me privately at simona@simonaksoll.com
We’ll have a powerful initial conversation at no-cost-to-you and during this conversation, I will do 3 things for you.
1. Tell you if you’re truly READY to make the move and step into your next chapter.
You might not be, that is the truth and YOU’LL come to realize it during our time together.
2. Help you finally understand the exact reasons WHY you are not able to move forward.
3. And tell you what YOUR NEXT STEPS are to get from where you are to where you want to be.
If this resonates with you and you know that you require guidance because you’re done with spinning your wheels, connect with me simona@simonaksoll.com and let me know. I’d love to support you on this journey, and I look forward to speaking with you.
Simona Ksoll is a personal mentor to entrepreneurs & creatives helping them bring their big inner vision to life. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and join her private Facebook Community.