Welcome back to part three of our Change at Work Series! If you missed the first two parts or you simply want to refresh your memory, you can catch up HERE and HERE. Today, let's talk about thriving through change. When change happens, we tend to retreat and think: "Ugh, I don't like this. What's going on?" But fear not: There is a formula you can use to embrace that change and thrive through it. Keep reading or watch the video below to learn more...

First, we have to look at the different stages of learning. This may or may not ring a bell, as I have mentioned these in previous blogs. If not, let's go over them again.

 Learning Stage #1: Unconscious Incompetence. At first, when something new happens, when there's a change, we're not good at it, but we don't even know that we're not good at it, because we didn't know it existed! It's being presented to us, is all. 

Learning Stage #2: Conscious Incompetence. Now, we're consciously not good at it. They implemented that new computer system in the workplace, for example. Now we know it's a thing, we know we have to face it and we know that we're not good at it. We're still incompetent, but we're consciously incompetent.

Learning Stage #3: Conscious Competence. This is where we start learning how to deal with this. We are starting to become good at it little by little. We have to pay attention, think about it, follow that list, those instructions, and practice.

Learning Stage #4: Unconscious Competence. You've practiced, you've followed the steps, and now, you can navigate through this new skill with your eyes closed. You've reached the final stage of learning!

Learning stages are the first part of the formula. It's important to know where you are at.

The second part of the formula: meta programs. We talked about a few meta programs; in part one, we mentioned the decision factor. Do you like sameness, sameness with exceptions, sameness with differences? Understanding your meta programs is a key part of thriving through change, because when you know yourself and you know your personality, it's much easier to recognize how to navigate a change. When you know yourself, you can respond to change with: "Ah, you know what? In this case here, I should probably use this tool to help me, because my personality style and my meta program is naturally sending me in this direction."

You need to become resourceful. You need to feel good, because when you're panicking, you're filled with cortisol. It is not helping you. In order for your brain to generate some feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, or endorphins, there's a couple of things that you can do.

Dopamine: Perform a task. Find a small little task on your to-do list and check a box. You will get a shot of dopamine. That will make you feel resourceful again, because it will make you feel good. It will generate that source.

Serotonin: Help somebody else. Serotonin is easily generated. It's easy to offer a hand to someone or just perform a good action.

Oxytocin: Get together. Oxytocin is a social feel-good chemical. Get together with other people, ask for help.

Endorphins: Get moving. When you're active, it generates endorphins. Just go for a walk. Do something that involves fresh air, or some movement.

Let's see what our formula looks like so far.

LS (Learning Stages) + M (Meta Programs) + FG (Feeling Good) = Resourcefulness

Now, we add one more secret ingredient, which is the magic sentence: "I am willing to learn." If you are willing to learn, that is when you can transform this change into thriving so that you can thrive not only despite the change, but because of it. Adding that secret ingredient, "I am willing to learn", is going to do wonders with your formula. 

And then, the last piece is putting it all together. You have your learning stages, knowing yourself, your meta programs, making yourself feel good so that you become resourceful. Then, you add that "I am willing to learn." There you have it: the formula to thrive through change.

Enjoy the formula, use it, and have a great time facing change, understanding it, stop resisting it, and thriving through it.

CHANGE CAN BE PARALYZING.

It's easy to start procrastinating instead of facing the changes & the tasks that come with it.

Download my FREE Guide & get out of the procrastination loop with 6 strategies to help you focus. Remember: You can thrive through change!

Check out some of my previous blog posts...