When's the last time you tried anything new? Do you remember the exhileration and anticipation of taking on a new adventure? Seriously, I'm not talking about a different flavor soda or beer for that matter, I am talking about a new activity or new hobby, a trip to a foreign place, something that made you have to step out of your comfort zone? Children are constantly put in the position of trying something new. They have us as parents pushing them on, peer pressure and then in school, they are challenged daily to bring their thinking to the next level. After school they participate in activities in dance, music, drama, sports etc...where the kids become a part of a group and share something. Trying something new is part of their everyday life. Their minds remain flexible in their daily ritual of change. As we get older we are not as prone to change.
As we get older, we don't have the required education classes like we did as kids. No more required gym class to keep us in shape, or after school activity to join the gang in. Our schedules become very structured and redundant. So much so, that we become comfortable in our ways. Life is good that way, or at least for awhile. Until, something happens, and we are forced to take on change. You know that drive to work you take each day. You do it so many times you go on automatic...How frustrating is it when there is an alternative route posted? We are then required to get out of automatic and manually shift gears and use our heads. It's work. Maybe it is a more serious change, such as losing a job and finding a new one. If we are not comfortable with change, moments like this in life can be quite traumatic.
It is common to become sedentary in our ways, where we just don't want to change. Human beings are naturally habitual. We find what we like and stick to keeping it that way. Going out of our comfort zone is not a natural thing for most. Some fear it. Some won’t even consider it. The less we exercise our brains on making changes, the less flexible we become to new ideas and new ways of doing things. You can see this with older people, where the latest trends in fashion are not nearly as important to them as the younger generation. They don't want or need the plasma TV. I have a friend who is an athletic director at a private college. He tells me his two bosses don't even own a computer. They work in a college. Is that possible? I know I have friends as well, that have slowly moved forward in becoming adept on the computer. And the Internet has been around for a while. They will outright tell me they are afraid of it, or it is too much work to learn it. They don't need it. Sound familiar?
Bottom line they don't see the prize: the reward on the other side for doing all the work. People don't like change...change means something different, something new..something foreign... If you don't know it, you fear it and stay away. Over time things change, to make the most of life we need to change with it. How can we prepare ourselves for change? There is a company called Play, from Richmond Virginia. Their conference room is called, "The Playroom". Their employees are encouraged to take on activities that spur creativity, take risks and try new things. When they have ideas flying across their business room, the ideas are celebrated and called "mojo". They celebrate creativity and change...it is progressive.
In order to celebrate change you need to be comfortable with change. John C. Maxwell writes an excellent book on the significance of change in our daily lives and in our careers so we dont become stagnant in our ways, Thinking For A Change. No company will stay around for the long run if they are not able to change with the times. I think the best way to be open to change is to exercise our minds and bodies regularly to different situations, so when we are forced to face a change in our lives we don't have to dread it so.
There are many ways to jump outside your comfort zone and make some changes. If you want to start small, try a new exercise. If you like to go on vacation, travel somewhere new. Try a new dish on your dinner table. Take a road trip to somewhere you have never been before. If you like the internet, surf to sites you have not been before. Try a new hair cut. I do at least once a year. Even if I don't like it. I may be on my way after a couple of cuts to a new style I will like better than before. Watch yourself go through the process of change. First the feeling of the unknown, foreign, second, the feeling of anxiety that turns into excitement and lastly the process by which you go from the unknown to the known. Sometimes thi s stage takes a while and few are unwilling to push on through. It takes practice to get used to ths stage.This is where you have to find strength and courage and convition so you reach the other side.-the side of the prize. It is this way always. When you get used to this mental exercise, change becomes a more normal part of your life once again. When you learn new things, you feel invigorated...your vitality reaches new heights.
Change is an important exercise. For years now, I have made it an important part of my life to take on new things regulary, so to keep my mind and body flexible. Do I get uncomfortable at times? You betcha. I just know it is part of the process. I have worked change in my life in many ways. I cannot tell you how many different exercise regimens I have tried, and mix them up regularly. I have taken on many different sports in my adult life. I read a wide variety of subjects on different topics. I focus on a different part of the world each year.I have traveled extensively. I have not had a career, so I have done charity work where I sign on different positions just to learn something new each time. I have a diverse group of friends that all teach me new things regularly. I have instilled in my life that change is evolutionary. I want to grow and become more each day. I get excited about it because I have built up my momentum. Once you get going , you get in the zone and you will surprise yourself with what you decide to take on next.
I have a friend, forced into a new change in her life now: divorce atfer twenty years of marriage. It became quite the habit. She sat at a table a few months back, wishing she was more knowledgeable about current events. She was impressed by how much reading I did. She said she has not really read in years. I showed her some of the books I read. She was like I couldn't handle those. This was in January, little did I know she was going to "change" her ways. A few months later she is sharing with me books I have never read, with challenging topics. She found out she had more inside her than she knew. She is now taking on the Internet and is learning new sites each week. She has become a blogger. She has signed on for sites to send her daily comments. She is enbracing change in her life right now. She is getting comfortable with exercising her mind. It breeds momentum so you are willing to try on change in other areas of your life. This is why the company Play reinforces it's employees to take on activities like surfing and mountain climbing... It will effect who they are at work.
Try on new things. If you like books, read a subject you never read about. Listen to a new genre of music. Try the latest exercise craze. There are so many possibilities out there for us to experience and enjoy. We first have to want to see them and secondly be willing to take on the challenge of learning something new. They say no risk no reward in life. I say, living a life of stagnation, is barely living at all.
So the next time you are exposed to something new in your life, If your first reaction is stay away or you don't like it because it is different, take a second look. Give it a try. Make the challenge of trying something new a rewarding experience. And pat yourself on the back for being willing to swim in foreign waters. I am sure your life will become very rich and rewarding when you “change” your ways.
There is always a good result when trying new things. Not bad at all buddy.
Posted by: vigilon | May 23, 2011 at 04:30 AM