Do you notice yourself dreading an upcoming change? Maybe others in your life are feeling the same way? Maybe you have to upgrade your software, adhere to a new tax law, or go through a renovation. It’s normal for people to resist these kinds of changes. The good news is that the latest research in neuroscience shows that installing these 3 mindsets can help and others you make the change with far more ease and effectiveness.
3 “Mindsets” That Help You and Others Better Handle Change
The trick is to install these mindsets in your subconscious mind, so that they go on autopilot. In other words, you don’t have to WILL yourself to be that way. It’s much like you’d install software in your computer. In fact, you are installing and uninstalling mindsets all the time anyway. Becoming aware of that process can make your life better and help you serve others at more profound levels.
Here are 3 powerful ways for shifting your mindset around challenging change.
#1 – Change Your Physicality
Strangely enough how you sit, stand and move can powerfully influence your mindset regarding change. Here’s a short, fun video clip explaining this phenomenon:
#2 – Pretend You’re an Expert
The second one is a question you would ask yourself or your team. It’s a question which can break you free of a limiting view of yourself and your capacities. For example, I used to be a “technophobe”. I had a fear of technological things. Tech experts handled these things for me. And then one day no tech experts were available when I was getting an error message over and over again. I was on a deadline, and so I was highly motivated to get a solution.
I asked myself “If I were a tech expert, what would I do that I’m not doing now?” That’s when an idea came to me. I pasted the error message into my search engine and found a solution. Most tech experts would roll their eyes and think “of course!”. But I didn’t view myself that way until I asked that question. After that, I started handling my own tech issues more and more. Now I consider myself a “technofile”. So, the next time you encounter a challenge ask yourself, “If I were an expert at solving this issue, what would I do that I’m not doing now?”
#3 – Imagine Benefits AFTER the Change
Our brains are hardwired to hold onto what’s familiar, even if it’s causing problems. Most people are holding on to things, people, places, jobs, things, timelines, systems, software, attitudes, and roles, that no longer serve them, just to avoid the discomfort of change. I had a private coaching client who refused to adopt the online work share service. He liked working on team projects using paper. His colleagues, however, were scattered across the country. While everyone else was chatting and sharing documents online, he was trying to fax his handwritten notes to people. As a result, he got left out of the loop often and his work suffered.
We all have areas where we are holding on inappropriately, in big ways and small. What helps a person let go is usually to inspire them with the new possibility, trigger their imagination of how life could be better on the other side of the change. It can also help to get a practical experience of the benefits of the new.
In his case, we walked through the work share system together proving to him the time saving benefits. No one had done that with him at work. Everyone else on the team was a digital native and jumped into the new system right from the start. He was a digital immigrant who needed an interpreter and a guide so he could get a hands on experience of how much better it was than a fax. He happily adopted the new system after that.
If there is someone who is resisting change, how can you help them explore benefits awaiting them BEYOND the change?
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