LinkedIn kindly got in touch last month to wish Neon a Happy 6th Anniversary. It made me stop for a moment. 6 years?? Blimey. Where did that time go? It made me reflect on the change that setting up Neon came to be in my life (I remember to this day announcing to my oblivious boss that I was resigning). It made me reflect on the change that had occurred in me such that I was able to make that move. And it made me reflect on all the changes that have taken place since then and how they have contributed to me being the me I am today. In essence, it got me thinking about change.
Change is what I have always done in my work. As a social worker and probation officer, I was always interested in and concerned with what caused people to behave the way they do, and what enables them to change. That saw me through 10 years of meeting all kinds of folk, and learning all kinds of things about myself, about them and about behavioural change. My conclusion? Change ain’t easy.
So up next was management consulting and a shift to more organisational change, be it cultural or structural or process-related. My work was all about enabling some kind of change (at some point, the language shifted to talk about ‘transformation’) in all sorts of organisations. My conclusion? It still ain’t easy.
By now, I had changed quite a lot. I was now in the throes of the mid-life crisis period where I had begun to question what I was doing, why and for what purpose. I knew I wanted something deeper, something more human, more creative in my work and so what did I decide? I decided to make a change. I resigned and set out to “do my own thing”. Did I have a plan? Did I know what that meant? Nope! Was I terrified? Pretty much. Did it prove to be the right thing? Oh good god, yes!
The amount of personal and professional growth I have experienced in the last 6 years is, quite honestly, exponential. It would be impossible to summarise it in a short piece like this. But it has as much to do with my relationship with myself, as it does with anything on the outside. And guess what? It ain’t been easy!
Don’t get me wrong: I love it. I love the freedom, the autonomy, the way I get to choose so much of what and when and how and with whom I work. I love my work with a passion I didn’t know before (and I always enjoyed my work (except maybe shift work in mental health hostels in South East London. No, definitely didn’t enjoy that)). I love the sense of purpose I now have. I love the way that what I do as work, doesn’t feel like work. I love the fact that the boundary between life and work is so blurred these days, in a way that feels entirely healthy and energising to me.
And yet, it has been hard. Sometimes it still is. But then whoever said that change was easy? And whoever said that hard was bad?
So, here are my tips for navigating change:
- Follow the urge, the sense, the intuition that tells you that change is afoot. Call it the “call to adventure”, call it the case for change, call it a dream or a desire, or even a frustration, but follow it. Give it life. It will take you somewhere you have not been before
- Know that it will be hard and messy and there will be times when you — and others — will seriously question why you did this. Do not be deterred.
- Don’t wait for the entirety of “what’s next” to become clear, before embarking on the first step. It will unfold when it is good and ready
- Draw in the support you need, professionally and personally. Change is exhausting and tough. It requires energy, resilience and resourcefulness. Learn to ask for help. Build and then lean into your network. Seek out those who believe in you and will champion you: mentors, coaches, friends and family members
- Get clear on your purpose and once you have it, hang onto it for dear life. Nurture it, feed it and watch it grow. It is gold dust that will guide you through the darkest fog
- Trust that there is a limit to what you can ‘make happen’. And allow magic to emerge. I am all for agency and empowerment and all that good stuff. But I have honestly learned more about trust in myself and “the universe” in the last 6 years, than I had in the previous 43. And what a relief to know that it is not all down to me. Tune in, lean in, point yourself in a purposeful direction and trust
- Planning is overrated. How was I ever a project and programme manager? I mean, those things do help. Sometimes. But there is a limit to how much one can plan for change. The energy and complexity of change are far greater than any project plan, however brilliantly executed by some smart-ass consultant. All those other more right brain activities, such as intuition, dreaming and sensing, really do help. As does the ability to be really present with what is now (not what was or what will be) and soaking that up. Strange though it may sound, ironic though it may be, getting good at being present in the moment, is a huge resource for understanding what is true, what is now and what therefore is needed next
- There is nothing more life affirming or self-affirming, than change; feeling the fear and doing it anyway; stretching yourself way out of your comfort zone and seeing yourself fly (and sometimes fall); going it alone in ways you never imagined; falling and then getting up and carrying on; confronting the underbelly of yourself and somehow getting through it; discovering new and wonderful things about yourself and the world. These are all things I have experienced.
- Change always starts on the inside. It’s an inside out kinda process. There is no escaping the inner work. Sorry, folks.
- Change is inevitable so we might as well embrace it. Nothing stays the same. Nothing.
You get the gist. I have loved it. And hated it sometimes. Still do. I realise, though, that change is my lifeblood. It’s a fundamental part of who I am and absolutely central to how I want to live. I mean, what’s so great about the status quo? And who wants an easy life?