The funny thing about change is that it is the one thing in our life that is constant. So, why is it, that when we look at our everyday lives do we feel that nothing ever changes? We measure change by the size of it, and how much it will require us to switch up our routine, but really, change occurs in our lives daily; it just wasn’t the kind of change that was impactful enough for you to take notice, or to be bothered by it. Maybe you have been dreaming about moving to a new city, but you can’t even begin to fathom what that would require. Maybe you have felt stuck in a relationship that hasn’t been going anywhere for the past year, and it has become easier to just stay. Maybe you have hated your current job from day one, but changing it now would be saying goodbye to your current benefits, and ability to pay your bills. Whatever the situation may be, it can all be changed, and it starts with the belief that you can change it. Everything we do in life requires some kind of change, so stop asking yourself what could go wrong, and start focusing on the fact that these changes can shift your life for the better.
I bet if I were to ask you to take out a piece of paper and write down three things in your life that you are not happy about, there would be a solution to all of them. The common denominator? Change. It will most likely require you to get uncomfortable for the time being and do something that you are not used to doing. This is the one thing that keeps people ‘stuck’ in their routines because even when we acknowledge that something needs to change, we hardly ever like the idea of doing things differently. Like all things, it gets easier over time, and like the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.”
So, why is it always so much easier said than done? Well, simply because humans love routine. There is a comfortability in it that makes us feel stable and safe. To a certain extent, a routine is a good thing to have; it keeps us in check with our daily responsibilities and allows us to stay on track with our lives. But when does routine turn into a bad thing? Imagine a life where you got up each day, ate the same breakfast, wore similar clothes to the day before, sat in the same traffic to get to a job you stopped enjoying years prior, left work to sit in more traffic, ate dinner, watched the same TV show you have been watching for years, just to go to bed and do it all over again the next day. That kind of routine is what will bring you down, and quite frankly, that is not how we are supposed to live out our days here on earth. We are much more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. When we are able to embrace change, and take the necessary steps to live the life we deserve, we learn that change was never really that scary and that the unknown is what held us back from changing our lives. But everything we do starts out as the unknown, so why is it so hard for us to make the changes we know we need to take?
The first thing you need to do is take out that piece of paper I mentioned earlier, and actually write down the areas of your life that no longer challenge you as a person. Which aspects of your life are causing you unhappiness, and is there something you could do that would be able to change that? Get honest with yourself, and acknowledge the areas of your life that NEED to change. It all comes down to you, and what you want to be able to look back on when you have limited time left. Ask yourself this: “If I continue living my life this way, am I going to be happy with my choices 20 or 30 years from now?” Here is another question for you: Do you really think you will regret changing your life, and following your dreams, if all that means you’re giving up is the current situation that you no longer want to be in? Doing things differently is a scary thing, but you must ask yourself what’s scarier: never knowing what you can achieve, and letting fear dictate the path you take in life, or, facing your fears, and figuring out that you have been capable of change the whole time.
Take the necessary steps to get the life you desire. It doesn’t have to happen overnight, but it begins with the belief that you want to live for something more, and have a life that you can be proud of when all is said and done. With change comes growth, and with growth, comes the benefits of fulfillment. Never let the fear of the unknown keep you from making a step in the right direction. Is change really that scary that you are willing to stay in situations you want out of? I didn’t think so. Now take out that piece of paper, and start changing your life. You won’t regret it.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
Megan Lawrence