How to Mentally Prepare Yourself for Change - Cara Lumen

I made a much needed change recently – it was a bit late, but better that I did it now than not at all. I began to wonder why it had taken me so long make the change and what had been the process that finally led me to the decision to take action. I thought that if I could figure that out perhaps I would consciously know how to mentally prepare myself for the next change.

Become aware of the alternatives

I first got a cell phone because I wanted it with me in the car in case of an emergency. I never used it but it was comforting to have. I didn’t know how to use it very well, but I had a perceived need to have it to keep me safe so I kept it. I gradually watched people around me use their cell phones more and more. Many gave up their land lines and used only their mobile phone. I watched people take pictures with it and text with it. Yet I still carried mine with me only when I drove.

Learn how to use it

Part of the reason I resisted using my cell phone was that I couldn’t use it very well. I can do a lot of things on the computer that woman my age cannot but I had never tried to master a cell phone. The numbers seemed small, I couldn’t see it very well and most of all, I didn’t use it enough to be comfortable with it. I figured I could manage 911 at the very least. I saw no other need for it. A strong part of my resistance was that I had not mastered the technology.

Encounter a pressing need

All that changed when the promotional package for my TV, telephone and internet ended and my bill doubled. It then became a pressing need for me to figure out an alternative. I had two phones. Surely I could I manage with just one. The catalyst for change is often as simple as a changed circumstance and a new need.

Take action

I was ready for change. I spent an hour learning to use my cell phone. I pushed buttons that took me to all sorts of places. I’ve never sent a text message. I haven’t figured out the photo part yet, but I do have phone numbers entered into speed dial. And I discovered the headset from my land phone fits the cell phone. I set it up on my desk. I was ready.

Move out of your comfort zone

A pressing need led me to explore an alternative that I had discovered but had not utilized. That same pressing need prompted me to learn the mechanics of using the new system. And my final step was to let go of my land line – that comfort zone of familiarity.

Thanks to my cell phone adventure, I’ve added an awareness about how to mentally prepare myself for change. I will keep my eyes open for the new innovations that exist and learn enough about them to see how I might use them. Then when the pressing need arises I will know what is available, what steps to take to solve the problem and will be able to effortlessly move forward. Go exploring. See what other people are using successfully. Stay curious. You can mentally prepare yourself for change long before you need to make the actual shift.