Ways to Get Ready for Change and Live the Life You Want

Many of us may have made resolutions to prepare for change at the beginning of each year. We are frequently moved to reflect, look back, and take stock of our life, determining what is and is not working for us.

We may be looking for tiny, short-term adjustments, such as losing those Christmas love handles or organizing the garage.

We may also have a strong desire or need for more fundamental, long-term change, such as changing careers, quitting a long-standing habit, or relocating to a different city.

Whether we want to pursue personal transformation and growth or are forced to do so, we may considerably improve our chances of success by planning ahead for the changes we want to make.

We’ll look at 9 ways to prepare for the change in this article. These pointers will assist you in navigating both little and huge transformations, putting you on the way to living the life of your dreams. ^[1]

1. Understand the Logical Levels of Change

It’s crucial to understand how change works in order to know what to expect during the process.

The Five Logical Levels are used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to comprehend what is involved in effecting personal change. This is a straightforward model with five handy windows through which to examine any problem. ^[2]

The five Logical Levels are summarised below:

Identity – Who are you? What roles do you play in your life?
Beliefs – Why do you do what you do? What are your values and beliefs?
Capabilities – How do you do things? What are your skills and strategies?
Behaviors – What are you doing? What are your current behaviors?
Environment – Where, when, and with whom do you displaying your behaviors?

Changes and causes at each level have a greater or lesser impact on those above and below it. Changing your environment, for example, may have an impact on the layers above it, but changing a belief you hold will almost surely have an impact on the levels below it.

To change a behavior, which is usually the goal when we decide to prepare for something in our life, we must first become conscious of and adapt our core beliefs and sense of self, then expand our capacities to incorporate new skills, and potentially support the transition by changing our environment.

Let’s walk through each step with an example: you’re unhappy in your current job as a Chartered Accountant and have chosen to change careers.

Identity –Is your objective in life to be happy and content, or to be the family’s successful breadwinner?
Beliefs – How important is it to you to serve others? How important do you think money and status are compared to happiness and fulfillment? Do you think you’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments?
Capabilities – How will you acquire the necessary talents to work as a massage therapist? What kind of training will you require? What soft skills (communication, making people feel at ease) would you require that you don’t have now?
Behaviors – What additional behaviors would need to change, aside from physically leaving your current job? Will you have to forego certain conveniences in order to make the transition? Are your values consistent with the changes you’ll need to make?
Environment –Is your present environment (i.e., your spouse, boss) supportive of the necessary changes? Will you be able to study and work where you are now, or will you have to relocate? When is the greatest moment to switch careers?

2. Get Clear on Your Desired Outcome

As you prepare for change, take the time to clearly identify what you want to achieve in terms of what it will look like, when it will happen, how long it will take, and a basic description of how you will accomplish it.

This is especially crucial for individuals who want to dive straight in after they’ve made a decision; while excitement is great, you also need a clear path and a firm grasp of what you want.

3. Create a Pros and Cons List

Fear and doubt are unavoidable companions to major change. Even when we know a decision is the right one for us and will benefit us in the long run, we may find ourselves drawn back to the familiar and comfy behaviors, habits, employment, and situations we’re trying to leave behind.

Make a list of why you want to make a change. What are your deeper motivations for making this decision? What specific advantages will you gain as a result of your decision? What are the drawbacks of refusing to change?

Make a careful list of your responses to these questions and keep it somewhere you can refer to it frequently. When doubts arise or motivation falters, your list will act as a motivating reminder of why you’re doing this in the first place.

4. Imagine the Outcome

As you prepare for change, visualizing the end result is a terrific method to visualize a fully anticipated successful future outcome as positive inspiration for your journey.

You can then ask yourself how you got there, creatively visualizing yourself overcoming any barriers and challenges from a position of guaranteed achievement.

As a daily activity, vividly imagining the life you will live once you have achieved your goals is also a terrific approach to practice manifesting your reality.

5. Ecology Check

Holding your desired end product up to the microscope of inquiry is what an ecological check^[3]entails:

What are the potential stumbling blocks or conflicts?
What mindsets, habits, or behaviors might be working against you?
What impact would making the desired adjustment have on the people in your life (family, friends)?
Is there anything you’ll have to give up? Are you prepared to put them together?
What will have to alter in your life in order for you to attain your goal?
Is the final product in line with your basic ideas and values?

Asking yourself these key questions before making a major life change will save you time, effort, and sorrow, as well as allow you to make any required adjustments.

6. Build Your Assets

Make a list of all of your present assets, including money and other resources, skills, training, talents, and helpful people.

Make a list of the assets you still need to acquire in order to complete the transformation you’ve set out to undertake, such as new mindsets and behaviors, training and education, mentorship, and tangible assets like living and working spaces, loans, or transportation.

As you prepare for change, make a strategy for how you will acquire any abilities or resources that you presently lack.

7. Create Contingency Plans for Possible Obstacles

You can make arrangements for such possibilities once you’ve seen your desired future outcome and inspected it for potential hurdles and obstacles.

You don’t have to go into great detail; simply plan ahead of time how you’ll deal with any potential roadblocks.

If you expect opposition to your life decision from individuals around you, for example, you might prepare a brief and snappy response to the question of why you’re doing it.

8. Create an Action Plan

Even if we want to change, it’s easy to become overwhelmed as we begin to prepare for it. Any worthwhile life change means letting go of familiarity and venturing outside of our comfort zones, which can be terrifying.
A well-defined action plan will not only keep you on track with your goals but will also offer you a reassuring structure in the middle of what may appear to be chaos up.^[4

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When you formulate your plan, be sure to chunk it down into manageable daily tasks and action items, and set several achievable milestones along the way.

9. Keep Calm and Carry on

Always remember to be kind to yourself. Making substantial personal and life changes can be difficult, and there will be bumps and milestones along the road, as with any journey.

You will make mistakes, and you will experience setbacks. Stay as present as you can, follow your action plan, and go through your pros and cons list to remind yourself why it’s all worth it.

Take time each day to imagine your intended outcome, and don’t forget to appreciate small triumphs and milestones along the road.

The Bottom Line

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” -Barack Obama

As the former president of the United States states above, you are solely accountable for the adjustments you make in your pursuit of a better life.

Be clear about what you want and need as you prepare for change. Identify the talents you’ll need and discover a supportive environment to help you make the change you want, and you’ll be the change you’ve always wanted to be!