Pursuing life goals may require a leap of faith in a major life change. And the truth is, even if this change will lead to the life you have always dreamed of, full of purpose and personal meaning, change is hard. Do not stress. There are ways that you can prepare for a change from mental point of view.
Negative emotions are inevitable when you intend to distance yourself from the comfort of your daily routine. And as you prepare to embrace the unknown, you should expect stress and anxiety.
However, you should not stop, because your dreams are important. So you can’t allow these feelings to keep you from the change you deserve.
The key to making a bold change in your life is to be prepared to make the difficult transition as easy as possible.
If you are ready to make a change, here are some tips to help you prepare for success.
Prepare For A Change By Knowing And Accepting That It May Be Hard
Don’t be discouraged especially when you realize that change is too hard or scary. A lot is happening on the surface of your decision.
For lots of people change can be perceived as hard. Sometimes it can be that your fear can step in and sabotage your thoughts making you think this way.
There are two main emotions that are usually base to our emotional system: love and fear. Fear can lead to negative thoughts and self-talk and this is a strong base for stress to appear.
As human beings we like routines. Change is the biggest enemy of routines and therefore we can perceive it as an enemy. We fear it although it can be beneficial. Also change can trigger our stress depending on how easy we can accept the change.
Know that when you are stressed all kind of thoughts can appear. This is your fear talking and those thoughts are not real in many cases. You cannot predict what your future will bring. What you can do for these moments is to be better prepared for change from mental point of view.
Change Is Complex
It should not be underestimated how much a change in behavior in everyday life can infiltrate your basic principles. To illustrate this point, let us consider the six logical levels of change – used by practitioners in neuro-linguistic programming. It proposes the next hierarchy of personal change.
- Purpose and spirituality
- Identity
- Beliefs and values
- Capabilities and skills
- Behaviors
- Environment
These elements intertwine with each other. Thus, a change in one level can lead to an adjustment in others.
So, a change in your behavior – such as quitting your job, can lead to a change in the way you perceive your purpose, values, or beliefs.
This example demonstrates how a perceived change in your behavior actually sends waves through the fundamentals of how you understand yourself and the world. Also this can help you to better understand, accept and prepare yourself for a change in your life from mental point of view.
A Way To Prepare Yourself From Mental Point Of View For A Change Is To Know And Accept That It Can Be Awkward
Cognitive dissonance is the theory that you strive to maintain the status quo of your attitudes and behaviors (cognitive coherence). A disturbance of this state causes brain chaos (cognitive dissonance). This can lead to anxiety and stress.
According to a professor of psychiatry at Harvard, change, even if it is positive, creates cognitive dissonance. The main reason for this is uncertainty. This can lead you to go back to your old habits. And because of your biological impulses, your default brain is in a negative bias.
Planning : A Keys To Prepare Yourself For A Change From Mental Point Of View
Planning is one of your biggest defenses against uncertainty. It allows you to deal with change.
You can (and should) put in place many planning activities to better ease the transition.
1. Create an action plan. Plan the steps you are going to take on this journey. The more detailed, the better. If you encounter problems, visualize your final goal and work on them to go through the steps to get there.
2. Emergency plan. Examine the way forward for any unevenness. And then create a plan for any impediments.
3. Understand and store your assets. Make sure you understand what resources you need to complete your plan and prepare for it. This could include $$, skills, knowledge, contacts, etc.
4. Define what success means to you to make sure that this journey is personally satisfying. Make sure the plan is in line with your personal definition of success. This should be in line with your ideals of value, meaning and purpose.
Embracing A Positive Mindset Can Help Deal With The Negativity Of This New Journey
Remember that the glass is half full. It is important to notice when you slip into negative thoughts and emotions. In order to prepare yourself for a change from mental point of view you can use this self-awareness to reformulate these thoughts in a positive way. (For example, don’t think of the unknown as frightening – think of it as an exciting opportunity!)
1. Visualize the result: Research has shown that visualizing your goals can help you achieve them. So, take the time to visualize your dream trip to improve your chances and mindset.
2. Make a list of pros and cons: A solid list of pros and cons will help you prepare for change.
3. To pursue your dream life goals, you need to be prepared for a fight. But you also need to prepare yourself to take care of yourself.
During this trip, remember that you must:
- Be compassionate with yourself: if you feel it’s hard it’s okay.
- Give priority to self-care: Prepare yourself to focus on self-care activities. Your longevity in the next challenge will be based on your ability to accept downtime.
- Celebrate achievements: Remember to celebrate even the smallest gains. This will help you stay motivated.
So now you can prepare yourself for a major change in your life from mental point of view. You can understand why it can be too hard sometimes. And you know what to do to reduce your fear and jump into the game.
Final thoughts
Although it is not always easy to pursue your dreams – with clearly defined life goals, planning, hard work and confidence – you can definitely do it!
“The change will not come if we wait for another person or another date. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we are looking for. ” – Barack Obama
So remember when you have doubts about following your dreams. This may be because the brain is connected to avoid change and uncertainty.
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