Happy New Year!
The start of a new year is always exciting and uplifting. I am not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, because I feel you should set goals all year and not just start when a new year begins.
Let’s begin by talking about change. Change is hard, but comfort can be a trap. Change can be challenging because it often requires stepping out of your comfort zone and breaking free from familiar patterns. We all like familiar routines, familiar patterns, and familiar schedules. But what happens when we step out of the unfamiliar? We struggle!
When I started speaking 14 years ago, I had never rented a car. Yes, you heard me right – I had never rented a car. I was in St. Louis, Missouri, and the meeting planner told me I was to rent a car and drive to the venue. My initial reaction was okay I can do that. When I arrived at the airport, I had no idea where to go or what to do. It was a change. I was stepping out of my comfort zone. I asked questions and realized after I made it to the event that I could do it. It was all about convincing myself that I could.
Another challenge with changes comes from our tendency to see them as problems rather than opportunities for learning and growing. When I rented a car for the first time, I learned something new, and I grew personally. It just took that first time. Now I don’t even think twice about renting a car and how to go about doing it. Change is rewarding, change it self-proving, and change is about learning and growing.
Next time you hesitate about doing something different because it’s about changing, think about how you will learn and grow as a person. Don’t let change hold you back. Change with confidence.
