Another trip around the sun and the changes build up

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different..." - C.S. Lewis

I celebrated my birthday on the weekend. The C.S. Lewis quote stuck in my head as I reflect on what’s happened in the past 12 months. Things have changed overall, but each day not much has changed.

When I look back the area where I see the most change is technology. For example, in the past year I have started offering webinar workshops. In the past people came to me to learn. Now, I go to them “virtually.” I’ve learned new software. And update the design of the workshops - I am not in the same room and sometimes people are listening to the recording. I’ve even set up a small studio in my office for video recording.

We also updated our security system with one that is monitored and changed from our phones. I can see who is ringing the doorbell and answer them from wherever I am. Instead of using the keypad near the front door, I use my phone to set the system or turn it off.

In the past year I have updated my phone, tablet, media player and speakers. Each one of them has updated technology, but the biggest changes has been in the speakers. They are now portable and blue-toothed enabled. I purchased each device separately, so the changes were small but they add up to large leaps forward in the technology I was using.

Technology is where I lose my patience most. I can feel overwhelmed because each new tool and software requires I do something different, learn a new process, memorize another password, and struggle over the install that is supposed to be "intuitive".

If you get overwhelmed by changes you are experiencing:

1. Prioritize – You have a finite amount of resources. Choose the most important things to work on. Spend time on those. The other things don’t go away, if you have the time go can go back to those later.

2. Take control over what you can – You can control your time, your actions and your reactions. Organize and schedule what you can direct.

3. Release what you can’t control – This is the most difficult for me to do. I would like to control the weather if I could. But I realize I can’t control it all and I let go of what I cannot control.

4. Get support – Talk to your leader, a peer or someone outside of work to give you support and some perspective.

5. Remember you can’t do it all – You cannot do everything, you can’t be perfect at everything. Choose where you want to excel. Put time into that area first. Be kind to yourself! (I still can’t get my BOSE SoundTouch to play my iTunes music, but I’ve decided I will worry about that later.)

If you feel overwhelmed by the accumulation of changes think of to Prioritize, Take Control, Release What You Can’t Control, Get Support and Remember You Can’t Do It All!

I have many personal and business highlights from the last year, but the best one is I am one more year cancer-free!

Want to talk more about handling change? Want to be more strategic? Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com