Pain, panic, or restlessness can signal change is coming.
(Part 2 in a series on navigating difficult changes in life.)
In the past couple of years, I have noticed pain, panic, or even restlessness signal that change is coming. After attending a change management conference, I started to wonder whether I could use the techniques in my everyday life. In the last post, we looked the ADKAR steps to navigate change developed by Prosci for businesses. Step number one is Awareness.
I don’t know about you, but nothing says change is occurring quite like a little pain or panic. Sometime the source of the pain is obvious, such as a child going to college or a parent passing away. Other times, it’s just this vague feeling that something isn’t quite right. It feels like we’re unmoored and just drifting. In our personal lives, awareness is often accompanied by pain, panic, or a little restlessness.
Listening to our body
Pain and restlessness can show up literally in our physical body and day-to-day life. I don’t know about you, but I have trouble sleeping or digestive issues when I’m under stress. Stress and change often go together. If we slow down for long enough each day to scan our body and mind, we will often pick up on the small and large discomforts which come with a change. It doesn’t matter whether the change is good or bad, it’s just the fact of something changing which our bodies react to.
Asking “why”
When the pain, panic or restlessness signal change is coming, there is one particular tool which is simple to implement. It is based on the Toyota founder, Sakichi Toyoda, developed the 5 Whys Technique to find the solution to difficult problems. It is as simple as it sounds. When something isn’t going well, stop and ask yourself, “Why?” Pause and repeat the question five times. Try it and see. I’m always surprised by the simplicity and effectiveness of this technique.
Preparing for change
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
Quote by Haruki Murakami: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say …” (goodreads.com)
Very few people enjoy change, but it is a part of everyone’s life. As we feel the physical and emotional pain and restlessness which accompanies change, it is possible to use this quote to encourage us forward. Change is hard. Most of us don’t like it. But, as with anything in life, when we know what it is and we practice becoming active in the process, the suffering we experience is reduced.
Now what?
We now have the first step in change management for humans. We need to become “aware” according to the ADKAR model. In my life, this awareness is often signaled physically or mentally. When pain, panic or restlessness set in, it is often a harbinger of change. This week, we looked at the first step in the process of coming to peace with and navigating change in our lives, recognizing the “pain point.”
Don’t miss next week’s post about building desire for change.
