I love the challenge of personal growth. I just like to get better. When I’ve got a challenge ahead of me, I pull out all the resources, self-care, support system, reference materials…you name it…and I tackle the problem ahead of me. Maybe that’s why I love being a coach and helping my clients solve their life and career challenges.
And as long as I’m alive, there will be more challenges ahead. I attribute a lot of positive outcomes in my life to this desire to grow and improve. But yet…
Change and growth is hard.
There’s one thing that slips me up when it comes to making changes in my life, and I’ll bet it’s an issue for you, too.
Our mindset is often our roadblock to change.
Those stories we tell ourselves that are camped in the back of our mind tell us that we’re supposed to do x and y is not for us. Or the beliefs we’ve had about ourselves, others or a particular area of our life keep us where we are.
I was reflecting on Prosci’s ADKAR® change model¹. Prosci is an organizational change consultant but I started thinking about their model relative to personal growth and change.
Their model starts with A for awareness…we can’t change something until we’re aware there’s a problem. If our behavior at the office is an issue, it may not become clear to us until we get feedback from a performance review or a colleague. If we’re miserable in our job we may not even realize it if we’re too busy working, too stressed, or too overwhelmed to pay attention. We don’t even realize it doesn’t have to be this way.
Then there’s D for Desire to change. Once we know there’s a problem, having the desire to get out of it is a function of whether we see the change benefitting us or how badly we want to avoid the pain.
But we can’t change something if we don’t know how…that’s where the K for Knowledge comes in. Knowledge could be something as fundamental as knowing what the alternatives are or being able to visualize a different outcome. Maybe we know that the alternative is to find a new job. Or to stop taking everything personally. Or to be more assertive in our communication. But knowing that doesn’t get us there if we don’t have the next step.
To create change we need the ability to change.
We can get a long way towards change with awareness, desire and even knowledge of what needs to happen. Where we get tripped up is our ability to change. Our mindset impacts our ability to change.
Our mindsets propel us forward or hold us back.
We may also need new skills, resources, or strategies to change. But if we hold on to stifling beliefs about ourselves or our situation, our ability to make lasting personal change is difficult if not impossible.
Fortunately, our brain can be retrained. If we identify those mindsets that are holding us back and combine them with new skills and strategies, we can find that level of achievement and fulfillment we’re looking for.
As a career and leadership coach, my job is to partner with my clients to help them develop skills and adapt new mindsets that will create transformational change in their lives and careers. For any significant change in our lives, we need the help of others.
What change would you like to make?
What is holding you back?
If you’d like to explore it further, contact me at [email protected] or sign up for a Coaching Discovery Call at susanhodgecoaching.as.me/CoachingDiscoveryCall and together we’ll explore the possibilities of change for you.
¹ADKAR is a registered trademark of Prosci
Photo credit: Marekuliasz/Shutterstock
