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Change is not a four letter word…or is it?
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“Change is avalanching upon our heads and most people are grotesquely unprepared to cope with it, ” wrote Alvin Toffler in his best-selling book, Future Shock. Are we better equipped now—almost 40 years later? Is it possible to be prepared for change?
What’s the deal with change anyway? We are coached to “embrace change”, to “go with the flow”—but do we have the tools we need? Is change disruptive or is it food for our souls? Being stagnant, feeling stuck is no fun. But being in limbo—neither here nor there, “betwixt and between” is tough too.
William Bridges, in his book, Transitions—which I always recommend that clients read—“views transition as the natural process of disorientation and reorientation that marks the turning points of the path of growth.” If this is true, and I believe it is, then our task as human beings is to try to understand transitions—periods of change as natural and necessary for our continued self-development. But change can feel disorienting and that is uncomfortable for most of us. True. But it is also true that change can be refreshing and even liberating.
We are living in a time of multiple transitions. It is an election year. The markets we can see and those we cannot—but that we are trying to understand— are making wild movements. Indeed our entire financial system is undergoing a transformation of such magnitude that is rocking our worlds. No wonder we wonder if we might be spinning out of control.
Even in calmer times, money is often the source of consternation. How much do we need? What if we lose our jobs or health? What if the value of our investments for the future evaporates? What if…?
Transitions can be precipitated by either (or both) external or internal events, and these events can be either (or both) good or bad. It is at times like these that I think it is helpful to take a look at how others have tried to put the process of change in perspective.
While writing this story, I discovered an interesting graph —“The transition cycle-a template for human responses to change”— that might be helpful. I found this graph on Dai Williams’s website, eoslifework.com.uk. Williams is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist in the UK.
Williams charts the various phases of a transition in his graph. As we are going about our daily lives and feeling good or not—something happens—a life event that affects our equilibrium. Both positive (line a) and negative (line b) events can throw us off balance. We may feel lost as we grieve over the loss of long-held beliefs or loved ones. With loss comes tension. As we move though our transitions some choose to give up, while others may try on new behaviors—exploring and testing new ways of being.
During these times of transition, it helps to have a guide. As I remind my clients, this is not the time to “go solo.” So, what else am I suggesting to clients today?
I tell them to keep moving—stay engaged and active. Entropy will take over if we become paralyzed by fear. Look for some activities where you can make a difference, have an impact. Maybe it is re-examining your work life and considering other ways of making a living. You might be surprised at what you discover.
References and links to additional information:
My website: gibsonworks.com/
1. William Bridges, Transitions-Making Sense of Life’s Changes (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1980.)
2. Dai Williams. Life events and career change: transition psychology in practice. January 1999. Brit. Psych. Soc. Occupational Psychology Conference. Proceedings, 288-293. Online at:www.eoslifework.co.uk/transprac.html .
3. Alvin Toffler, Future Shock (New York: Bantam Books, 1970.)
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