How Do You Embrace Change?

As I sit here writing this post, I can’t help but think of the Fleetwood Mac song, “Landslide.” After a summer of upheaval, I feel like this should be my theme song. I have so many of the same questions right now. “Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?” And most importantly, can I take the advice that I so often give to you, my readers, and embrace change?

A crazy summer…

Normally summer is my favorite season, but this year I did not get much time to enjoy it. Instead, I feel like I was thrown one curveball after another. For two-thirds of it, I was working around the clock on a new TV show for Bravo. Once the series wrapped, I thought I’d get a bit of downtime in August. But an unexpected life event changed all of that.

Instead of having a summer spent with friends, full of laughter and good times, it’s been one of the most challenging periods of my life. But if anything, the events of this summer have taught me to appreciate the good moments in my life even more, and not take things for granted.

While I can’t share the specifics right now, (I promise there’s more to come soon), I do know that the upheaval of the summer has catapulted me in a new direction. Even though I’m scared, I know that change can inspire tremendous growth and open us up to new opportunities.

I find that the best way to navigate – or embrace change – is by creating a roadmap. And for me, that means getting clear on what’s most important and then setting intentions that align with my values. So I’ve come up with new goals for the remainder of the year that will help ground me during this period of tremendous change. Also, I’m going to listen to my own advice. Attitude is indeed everything, and with a bit of positivity, courage, and hustle, the goals I work on now could set me up for some big things in 2019 and beyond.

Savor the simple moments

I know, this seems like a trite and vague goal. It’s been said a million times, a million different ways. It’s on greeting cards, posters, social media posts, t-shirts, and in movies, song lyrics, tv shows, etc. And it can get annoying. We all know we should savor the good moments in life because they don’t last. So I’m not here to school you on this.

My intention with this goal is to take more time to appreciate the simple moments in my life right now because soon I will be experiencing new ones. In the future, I want to remember the moments that make up my life now. The best way to do that is to intentionally observe them and savor them. Moments like when my cat jumps up on the table and sits right in front of my computer because she wants a back scratch. Normally I just push her away. But now, I will pause, and pet her until she purrs. Why? Because I’ve realized that as much as we think these moments will last, and we’ll encounter them every day, that’s not the truth. Everything changes. It’s part of the cycle of life. And while I can’t change the cycle of life, I can change my behavior. I can be more intentional with what I notice and observe, and savor the simple moments.

 Pursue new business opportunities despite my fears

I often think the biggest thing holding us back is ourselves. I know for me, the inner dialogue in my head is often a negative one. When I have a new opportunity or dare to dream of a new venture, the voice in my head is full of commentary: “You’re not good enough, smart enough, you don’t have what it takes, you’re too old…” It goes on and on and on. Thankfully, I’ve gotten better at telling it to shut up.

So now when I have an opportunity to network or make a new business connection, I listen to the small voice in my heart that whispers, “Yes.” I’m allowing myself to dream and giving myself permission to think outside of the box and do things differently than what is expected of me. I’ve learned that no one will hand you your dreams on a silver platter. It takes discipline and work. But it all begins with saying yes to the things that scare you. So I’m learning to say yes to new business opportunities, even though I’m full of fear. I’m taking the meeting, making the call, sending out the query letters. I know that when I take action, I’ve already won, no matter the outcome.

Enjoy the cold, dark nights ahead

OK, this might seem like a weird one. And for those who really know me, this goal will seem impossible. Why? Because I really, really, hate winter. I dread the cold, and even more, I dread the darkness. I hate daylight savings. Why does the sun have to set at 4 PM? I mean, that’s still the middle of the afternoon, right?

This autumn, I am challenging myself to find beauty in the things I hate. So that means embracing the cold weather and darkness. Maybe this change of heart has to do with the fact that I will soon be spending time where there isn’t much of a change in seasons. Or maybe, after the events of the summer, I’ve realized that my daily existence will be much happier if I appreciate all of the seasons and cycles of life, rather than pinning all of my hopes on one. So, summer, I love you, but this year, I’m giving autumn and winter a shot.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What goals are you working on achieving this fall? With the changing of the seasons, do you also put together intentions for autumn? And how will you enjoy the last stretch of summer? I will be spending it in Cape Cod with a group of girlfriends. I’m excited about walks on the beach, eating lots of lobster, watching the sunset, and savoring the simple moments.

However you close out summer and get ready for fall, I hope you take time for yourself and your goals. Remember that you’re always worth it!