In a new workshop called Who Moved Your Cheese: Strategies to Seek Comfort with Change we help people change their attitudes and actions about change. Now doesn’t that sound like an oxymoron – putting two words in the same sentence that don’t belong? Other examples include “jumbo shrimp”, “pretty ugly” and my favorite “Microsoft Works”. There doesn’t seem to be anything comfortable about change. That’s primarily because we fear the unknown.

So let me share with you 3 simple (ok - they aren’t simple, but they do work!) strategies to accept, embrace and perhaps even enjoy change!

Face up to your fear. What is it about learning a new responsibility or getting along with a new boss or coworker that scares you? Could it be you are afraid of failing, succeeding or simply not meeting someone’s expectations? It’s very natural to first feel uncomfortable, clumsy or unsure about ourselves when we start something new. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help is actually a sign of confidence, not weakness. For fun, watch the 1991 movie with Bill Murray called “What About Bob?” and learn how to take baby steps to overcome your fears!

Expect mistakes. No one and nothing is perfect. Perfection is defined by the eye of the beholder. Stop comparing yourself to other people. My high school golf coach said it about the game of golf and I believe it’s true about life…”the only person you are really competing against is yourself.” Mistakes are simply disguised learning steps to success. Think back on the personal and professional changes you have experienced so far in your lifetime (i.e. jobs, schools, cities, occupations, marital status). What positive things have you learned about yourself, your priorities and other people through those experiences? I have found, the bigger the mistake, the bigger the lesson learned!

Plan for the worse. You might be thinking that's a pretty negative strategy. So let me explain. If worrying about change is paralyzing your mind and actions, then developing a pro-active approach to deal with the worst possible thing that could happen will prepare you to acknowledge the fear, deal with it and move you into the change. In addition, please note that studies have found of the things we worry about only 8% will ever happen. But for those “worry warts” ask yourself three questions.

1. What’s the worse thing that could happen during or after this change is complete? (For example, in the case of a new job…getting fired could be the worst thing that could happen.)

2. If that happened, what would you do? (In the case of getting fired, you’d need to update your resume, get the Want Ads and start talking to other employers.)

3. Could you cope with that? And here, the typical response is “yes”.

Bottom line, the only thing that seems to be constant in our lives is change. And face it…if we’re not changing, we’re not growing or learning. Without growth, both personally and professionally, individuals, teams, couples and even organizations will become stale and become obsolete!

So, what change are you facing (and perhaps even fearing) in 2005? Perhaps Inspiring Solutions can help you through:

• Our New workshop “Who Moved Your Cheese: Strategies to Seek Comfort with Change”

• Strategic planning – clarify your company’s priorities and establish clear direction for the future

• One-on-one with Michele – “Help Yourself: Coaching You to Your Best”