Hard to believe that it’s the the first week of December already. What a year 2009 has been. Lots of changes and uncertainty throughout the year, not just for me, but for many folks that I know. I’m sure that you’ve experienced some of the same this year, or know someone close to you that has as well.

Change is inevitable. From change typically comes growth, and it has been said that if you are not growing you are dying. Generally speaking, change can be categorized into two types: Planned, and Unplanned. If the change is planned by you, it can be rather seamless, and even exciting. You have ‘your ducks in a row’ and anticipate much of what is to come.

How about unplanned change? Something that you hadn’t anticipated and weren’t fully prepared. Do you embrace it as an opportunity? Maybe it ‘forces your hand’ to do something that you’ve longed to do, but wouldn’t/couldn’t commit to change on your own. Perhaps you contract into a safety zone, as you try to make sense of the change. For some, change is related to loss…loss of something that is familiar.

It’s quite natural to go through the grieving process…
Denial (This isn’t happening),
Anger (I can’t believe that this has happened, this isn’t fair),
Bargaining (Maybe if I do x, the situation will revert back to the status quo),
Depression (completely bummed out that this has happened),
Acceptance (This is for real, it’s clearly not going to change back to the original situation, I’ll deal with it moving forward).

How do you respond to change? Something to think about every now and again, because inevitably, change is right around the corner for you. I’d encourage you to try and find the opportunity that change presents. How can you maximize the opportunity presented to you?

Next blog will pose another question…are you a baby monkey or a kitten? Those are your only choices, and you are either one or the other. Think about it carefully, and I’ll pose an interesting perspective for you to consider.