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LIVING BY DESIGN NEWSLETTER
by Leslie Karen Sann, MA, LCPC
V5, #7
April 19, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE

Change = Focus + Learning + Action 

Quotes

Practically Speaking

Wonder Questions

CHANGE = FOCUS + LEARNING + ACTION
Meeting the Challenge of Change, Part 2

Life is about change. We either choose to be the force of change because of a compelling inner desire to make a difference in our lives, or an outside factor influencing our life has initiated the change. In either case, change happens. The growth opportunity is to become a competent partner in the dance of change.

Sometimes we are the initiator of change. Perhaps you want to expand your business, improve your health, relocate, go back to school, take a month long vacation, deepen in intimacy with your spouse. Whenever we initiate change we involve ourselves with three components in order to be successful.

The first component is focus. What outcome do you desire? What do you want? This is the guiding light to the change process. Where are you headed? What do you want to happen?

Once you know where you are going, you must assess what it is going to take for you to get there. You must learn how to create what you want. Learning is the second component of change.

What is learning? To learn something means you can now do something that you were unable to do previously. For example, Rover here is 8 weeks old and is a bundle of happy puppy energy. I tell Rover to sit and he jumps in my lap to kiss me. "Sit Rover," and he runs around in a circle. "Rover, sit," and Rover lies down.

Two weeks later you come to visit. I say to you, "Watch this." I turn to Rover and say, "Rover, sit." And Rover sits. We would say that Rover has learned to sit.

Learning changes us. Once we learn something we are no longer the same. In order to learn we MUST change. We must become something new. Rover is on his way to becoming a Canine Good Citizen.

A good question to ask when initiating change is, "What do I want to become?" Perhaps you want to become lean, firm, and healthy. What do you need to learn in order to do so? New ways of eating? exercising?

Change is successful when we LEARN a new way of being, when we are able to participate in life in ways we were unable to before.

Learning is not passive. Learning involves action. The third component to change is action. Rover learned how to sit by taking action. Over and over he practiced until responding to the request to sit became automatic, and Rover now sits when asked (well mostly;-).

We learn through doing. Taking action, making mistakes, growing in competence.

It is important to remember the three components of change: learning, focus, and action.

For things to change, we must change. We create change by choosing a focus, learning those skills that will support us in creating what we want, and taking action, action, action.

This is what we'll be exploring in this series of articles.

Related Articles:

Living by Design Series
Action, Action, Action

Turning Complaints into Action into Results

Learning from Mistakes

Top of Page

QUOTES:

"Things do not change: We change" 
   ~ Henry David Thoreau ~

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." 
   ~ Ben Stein ~

"It only takes one person to change your life -- you." 
   ~ Ruth Casey ~

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PRACTICALLY SPEAKING:

  • Think of an area in your life that you would like to be different. Ask yourself, "What do I want?" Allow yourself to be very clear and honest as to what it is you would like to be different. Allow yourself to express your desired outcome as clearly and specifically as possible.
  • Take time to evaluate your current situation. Do you have what it takes to manifest what you want? Is there anything you need to learn in order to move towards that which you desire?
  • What actions do you need to take if you want to have what you want? Design an action plan and go for it.

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WONDER QUESTIONS:

  • Are you willing to do what it takes to invite the changes you would like into your life?
  • If 'things' are to change - how might you change to allow that change?
  • Are you willing to be a creative force in your life?
  • Top of Page

COPYRIGHT/CONTACT INFO/REPRINT PERMISSION

c Copyright 2005 by Leslie Karen Sann, Living by Design
Visit this link for contact information:
leslie@living-bydesign.com

Reprint permission granted in part or whole when the following credit appears in full:

Copyright 2005 by Leslie Karen Sann,
Living by Design.All rights reserved. 
Web site. http://www.living-bydesign.com

 

 

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