Thursday 30 January 2014

January Newsletter 2014
Change  - PART 3
Let’s do it!

My desktop calendar says January 31st, so officially this is still a January newsletter!  Melbourne has put on a beautiful midsummer day, not scorching and not grey, and my feet are hitting the ground again after giving myself some real time off these holidays.  It is with pleasure that I sit at my desk, with a new pack of glitter pens and fresh vision, to write to you for the first time this year.

I am lucky that my work allows me to spend the holidays with my family, but sometimes, even with time off work we don’t really relax, do we?  This year, on the eve of departing for the beach, I reminded myself that paying for a holiday and then using the time to stress about the to-do-list or complete a big task, is false economy.  Holidays for your mind are so important and beginning the year after a real brain rest will, in the long run, be more efficient.

But now the year is under way and this is the time for action.  In Change Part 1 and 2 I asked if you wanted to change and what change may really look like for you.  After you have committed to change and developed a strong vision of what that will be like, you are ready for Part 3 - taking real steps to make change happen.  This may be where the fear comes up!  If this happens for you,  recall the things we spoke about previously, focussing on your meaning and purpose and staying in the moment.  Don’t let fear stop you, instead see it is an indicator that this is important and new.  Stepping straight into any fear, a little at a time, is actually liberating as we begin to receive some rewards from our actions and can see that that the changes are not scary but useful.

Breaking down your task in to small steps that are easy to achieve, will stop action from seeming overwhelming and let you change at a pace that suits you.  There is no need to worry about it being too slow, because change will be happening to you and around you as long as you are taking small steps each time.  Congratulate yourself at each action step and take a moment of reflection.  If these changes are really important to you then you will probably be learning a lot at this point, it’s ok to take some time to soak this learning up before you plan your next move.  This might be a good way to see it:

Note the upward spiral ( it’s meant to be going upward, forgive my drawing skills ) in the middle.  This means that every time you take an action and learn from it you have taken a step up.  Even if it has been difficult, you have learned something you didn’t like or you need adjust your path a bit - it is still a step up.  Self care and compassion is important here as you gather your courage and continue on.  Some of the main ingredients of resilience are self care, confidence and action - seeing the outcomes of our work builds a picture of ourselves as powerful agents.  The relapses, disappointments or setbacks are all necessary as we learn more and become stronger.  If you get stuck, sometimes any small positive action will be enough to get you back on the path.

So the main things to remember as you take action are:

  • Make each action step small and do-able.
  • Step into fear - it will diminish as you face it.
  • Know that slow is ok at first, change will be happening all around you.
  • Practice self-care while you are learning new things.
  • Take time to reflect on what you have learned and adjust course any time you like.
  • If you get stuck, reconnect to your purpose and inspiration.
  • If in doubt - do one small thing.
  • Celebrate each step.
  • Keep going - and look back to see how far you have come.
  • There is no change without action - vision and inspiration will only get you so far.
  • Sometimes you just have to take a big breath and do it.

Over the year I will be looking at different techniques in more detail to create positive changes, especially those that unblock and release us from old habits.  I also look forward to sharing the changes that happen for me over the next 12 months - after all change is always happening so we may as well embrace it!

Enjoy your actions, 

Kind regards, 

Fiona Claire.

Work with me: Individual Counselling, Creativity and Therapeutic Singing and Songwriting Sessions by appointment. Email: fionaclaire@optusnet.com.au or call 0437 985 132