One of the main reasons we tend to stay in our comfort zone is our fear of change. For this reason, in this article, I want to share with you 7 keys to overcome your resistance to change and dare to take that first step towards a life more coherent with your own essence.
Before starting, I want to tell you that I have put into practice all the keys that you will find below and that all of them appear in this post due to their ease of application, simplicity and great utility. Shall we start?
7 keys to overcome your resistance to change
1 # Do the four scenarios exercise
One of the most effective techniques I know of for overcoming your resistance to change is the four-scenario exercise.
It is about identifying the following possible scenarios:
- Current nightmare: identification of the current problem
- What will your nightmare or problem be in five years if you do not apply measures now?
- Sleep: benefit you get if you apply measures at this point in your life
- What will your dream be five years from now: what your life will be like in the future if you make changes now?
This exercise offers you a very clear photograph of the four dimensions or situations that you can experience in relation to the change you want, hence its effectiveness.
It is a strategy that I recommend to those who want to change, but their insecurities block them and prevent them from making clear decisions.
2 # Focus on the benefit of change
One of the most common habits when approaching change is to orient your thinking towards the investment instead of thinking about the benefit of it.
When I speak of investment, I am not only referring to an economic point of view, but I am referring to the time we dedicate to change, the energy required, the commitment and any other resource or factor that may intervene in the process.
Through this section I refer to the same idea that you probably already know: you can always see the glass half full or half empty.
When it comes to overcoming your resistance to change, exactly the same thing happens. You can interpret obstacles and your blocking points as something negative or as a great opportunity for personal growth.
For this reason, my recommendation is that, when focusing your change process, you take into account the multiple benefits and impact it can cause in your life. Without a doubt, doing this approach can be very useful to make decisions that are meaningful to you.
3 # Pursue changes aligned with your identity
To overcome your resistance to change, it is essential that it be a reflection of you. It must be aligned with your essence, with your values and with the person you feel you are.
For this reason, it is very important that you pay attention to your self-knowledge before making decisions regarding your change process.
In this sense, I assure you that being very aware of your values is one of the fundamental aspects in this process. For this reason, I recommend that you invest the time you need to identify them and continue to advance in your personal fulfillment.
4 # Define realistic and motivating goals
You’ve probably heard of how to set effective goals on occasion, right?
The effectiveness of your objectives also happens because they are defined from a realistic perspective and taking into account what it is that motivates you to change.
The result of the change you are pursuing must be relevant enough for you to maintain focus and consistency in the implementation of the actions that support your change process.
Otherwise, you will most likely lose your towel as soon as an obstacle appears on the scene, causing you to lose motivation and time. And that’s not what you want.
Your goals play a crucial role in your change process, so it is very important that you define them properly.
5 # organize your change process
Overcoming your resistance to change is much easier when you structure and put order in your change process.
One of the most common mistakes made in this regard is wanting to start the house from the roof and cover all the changes in parallel.
If your purpose is to successfully achieve the goal you have set for yourself, the best recommendation I can make is that you start by improving your knowledge of yourself and your priorities.
Once you have gone through this phase of personal introspection, then and only then is it when you have all the necessary information to structure your change process and make decisions aligned with your needs.
I strongly discourage you from taking action impulsively and without having previously raised your values and aspects that at this time deserve your attention.
Your process of change can transform your life, remember to dedicate the time and care it deserves. By dedicating time to it, you will be dedicating time to yourself and your personal well-being, do not forget it.
6 # Connect with your what for
To overcome your resistance to change, it is totally advisable to identify your purpose in advance.
Connecting with the purpose behind your decisions is essential to enjoy a life full of meaning and get away from what you no longer need in your life.
Your what for can be any reason that is very relevant to you. From having more free time to achieving your most desired dream.
It must be something that you feel deep down and that is the true engine that moves you when making your decisions. Therefore, it is not something you can delegate to other people, in an introspective work that only you can do.
7 # open the door to new experiences
I don’t know of a better way to overcome your resistance to change.
Giving yourself permission to live different experiences means opening the door to an infinite world of possibilities.
I am aware that the unknown tends to terrify us. Let me tell you that novelty can also represent the beginning of a wonderful stage.
The above tips helped me to overcome my resistance to change before traveling to Indonesia.
If I had allowed myself to be overcome by my fear of traveling alone, perhaps I would never have felt the special emotions that accompanied me in Bali. And it would have been a real shame to miss it, really.
So I want to tell you that it is perfectly possible to move forward in fear.
And that fear can also be a great ally, as long as it does not paralyze us and keep us in the waiting room seeing how other people live what we also want to live.
I sincerely hope that the keys that I share with you in this article will help you overcome your resistance to change and bring you closer to the fulfilment that you long for yourself.