Big Change, Little Change – what’s the difference?

A couple of weeks ago, I outlined 5 Steps to Navigating Change.  If you missed that blog – you’ll find it here. 

Here are those steps again in brief (but for the detail, I’d really suggest checking out that blog!):

1. Define here
2. Define there
3. Make a plan (for both the external and internal landscapes)
4. Take action
5. Acknowledge and review

 
What I love about these 5 steps is the way they can be applied to change of any size.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning a weekend away or moving across the country; whether you’re cooking a meal or catering for a party of 100s; whether you’re switching to a new work team or need to find a whole new job.
 
There are a couple of reasons I bring this up.  One is the big O…for Overwhelm.  When it comes to day-to-day things you might fly through your day without a trouble in the world – but the moment something happens that breaks you out of your routine and all you know – wham!  Grinding halt.  Overwhelm = nothing gets done and procrastination steps in.
 
Another reason is the voice is in your head that sends you all sorts of negative messages about your ability to cope and completely erases any memory of the success you’ve had before.  Your brain can be so good at telling you all the things you don’t need to hear right now and turning that pimple of an issue into a Kosciuszko-sized problem.  Which of course leads to the big O and nothing gets done.
 
With the 5 Steps to Navigating Change, you have a beautiful formula to apply to any change – regardless of whether it’s big or small.  For small changes – just go from steps 1 to 5.  For the big picture of a big change – you can also just go from 1 to 5.  But to really get some traction, it’s much easier if you break that big change into smaller parts such as sections of work, or stages to be completed.  Each of those sections or stages has its own set of 5 Steps.  The starting point (or define here) and goal (define there) is different for each.  Keeping the sections small and manageable helps you stay positive and focused towards the goal, which helps to overcome that big O.
 
When it comes to your next point of change, have a go at applying the 5 Steps.  If the change seems too big, break it down into smaller parts and then use the 5 Steps for each.  Let me know how you go!
 
Got questions?  Comment below or send me an email at gillian@soulexperience.com.au.
 
Enjoy the rest of your day, and thanks for reading,
Gillian