Change of Plans

-by Matt Leedham

Plans change. That's a fact.

How people react to change is very interesting. Have you noticed that some people seem very relaxed and go with the flow when things change unexpectedly? And how others seem quite flustered when things don't go exactly as planned? Which one are you...and why?

5 days ago I ended up in the Emergency Room in Chicago. I didn't plan for that.

Finding Value in Change
One day after arriving in the Windy City for one of the most significant EO events of the year, I experienced excruciating pain in my lower back as I crossed the street. I literally stopped in the middle of the street as a tried to register what just happened.

I've had lower back problems for years and this felt oddly familiar to my worst back injury 3 years ago that had me bedridden for nearly a week. I slowly hobbled to the JW Marriott and hooked up with my colleagues. I tried to stick it out for a few hours, but the pain and stiffness in my back was just too much. I couldn't even concentrate on the meetings, and the pain must have been written all over my face, because my colleagues insisted I get help.

I headed to the Emergency Room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I was promptly fed a handful of narcotics which actually had very little effect on the pain caused by what turned out to be a herniated disc. I was shot up with more drugs and was finally comfortable enough to leave the hospital. However, I left with four prescriptions of various narcotics and instructions to take them four times a day for the next four days, rendering me completely useless to my team.

As much as I didn't plan to miss the most important conference of the year, my teammates certainly didn't plan for me to miss all of my duties and responsibilities. However, because they were primed for constant change, they successfully adapted to my absence without skipping a beat. In fact, they did it so well that I am left questioning my own necessity on the team!

What benefits and opportunities can you identify in times of change or chaos? I realized that I have a great team behind me that has my back and will get the job done.

Priming for Change
5 years ago Jaime and I worked at a start-up education firm in DC where we had two expressions that summed up our experience.

ACH - Anything Can Happen
COP - Change of Plans

"ACH" was used as an expression of humor and relief at the end of a long day. "COP" was used more as a greeting which indicated that something crazy was going to happen and that I should brace myself for change. Literally, I would get a call on my cell phone and the first thing I would hear is: “COP.” What came next could be anything – e.g. writing up a proposal, picking up an international visitor from the airport, planning an event for that evening, etc. It didn't matter. If I heard the letters COP, I was prepared to do anything.

Are you primed for change? What can you do to mentally prepare for change if you know it’s likely to happen?

Companies hire for adaptability and willingness to be creative in constantly changing environments. It's an important skill to have if you want to be successful.

Are you prepared for change? How do you react when things get turned upside down? I encourage you to be flexible as there is often a hidden opportunity amidst the change.

For me, the opportunity this week that resulted from my back injury was the amazing performance of my team at work. My trust in them skyrocketed and they delivered on a great opportunity to demonstrate teamwork, one of our core values.

Pay It Forward

-by Matt Leedham

“Think of an idea to change the world – and put it into ACTION!”
- Kevin Spacey in Pay It Forward

“This is your assignment. Extra credit. It goes on all…year…long.”

I know it’s only Tuesday, friends, but I feel the need for inspiration. Sometimes it can seem a little unrealistic to try to change the world. Let’s face it. It’s hard, it’s time consuming, and it’s daunting. But how about...possible?

All of us have the ability to affect the immediate world around us. All of us have the power to change someone’s day by merely interacting with them in a positive way. All of us can change OUR world, and if we do, together we will create a ripple affect around the planet.

I recently came across this video of a simple man from Madurai, India who decided to change his world. He was a chef at a 5-star hotel. But something changed his life and he left all of his success behind to make an impact in his community.

I will leave you with this quote and hope that some of you are inspired to take action.

Small Steps for Big Changes - 10 Common Mistakes

-by Matt Leedham

Nearing the end of February, it is quite common to see the waning efforts of once excited and motivated people that had set big goals in January. What I have come to learn, both through personal experience and further research and study, is that we are not mentally strong enough to rely solely on willpower to make lasting behavioral change.

My suspicions were confirmed this morning as I stumbled across Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab. Through the science of Captology (Computers as Persuasive Technology), these guys study the influence that technology has on our lives. It’s quite fascinating stuff if you want to dig around to understand things like the Psychology of Facebook.

But what I found really interesting is this concise slideshow that shows us the 10 most common mistakes people make when trying to address behavioral change in the form of goal setting.

Quick Summary
Will power is hard to sustain. Rather, set yourself up with simple processes to rack up small wins. Recognize that the people, and things, and places you surround yourself with will affect your behavior. Focus on action, not avoidance, and make the changed behavior as easy as possible to do. Unfortunately, information isn’t enough to elicit action – we need triggers to set us in motion. Create SMART goals and actions. Being vague will result in your inaction.

And my personal favorite…

Don't assume that behavior change is difficult. If you can identify the right process, and put yourself in the right environment, you can make lasting, positive change in your life.

Ch-Ch-Changes

- by Jaime Willis

"When nothing is certain, EVERYTHING is possible." - Margaret Drabble

Before I get to the point of today's post, I need to give you a quick lesson on William Bridges'Transition Framework (TF). The TF states that for every change that happens in your life, physical, mental, or spiritual, there is an emotional transition that one must also go through. This transition process has three main steps: Endings, Neutral Zone, and Beginnings.

An "Ending" is the acknowledgement that a change has occurred in your life, and using evokes feelings of sadness, anger, and fear. The "Neutral Zone" is the place where you wander when you have acknowledged the change, but don't have your new routine down pat yet. Being in your Neutral Zone usually evokes feelings of fear, confusion, and stress, but may also be a time of freedom and opportunity, depending on the change you are transitioning through. Beginnings are when you are emotionally ready to commit to your new way of life and boy, does this feel great!

Because change and transition doesn't happen on the same timeline, the TF helps explain why your emotions may not match the circumstances of your life. For example, why do you think high school students experience a big funk after graduation? Even though graduating is a wonderful accomplishment, they are experiencing an Ending (of their high school career) and will have feelings of loss and even anger until they can transition through to their new Beginning. Get it? TF is a great emotional tool to use and you can read much more about it here.

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Now that you have a sketch of the Transition Framework, let's look at how it can be applied to goal achievement. Think, for example, about someone who has made a goal to purchase their first home. This goal is a huge change for this current renter. Achieving this goal may mean the loss of freedom and/or independence, as one is now obligated to pay a mortgage and upkeep a house (endings). The future home-owner may find the process of finding a mortgage and choosing a home extremely stressful and confusing, and may not be able to make a decision on anything while sorting through all of the new information (neutral zone). Once the person finally sees all the opportunities they have in homeownership, they will be able to buy a house and start living the life of a homeowner (beginnings).

Once you understand that you will have to go through all the stages of a transition to achieve your goal (there are no shortcuts), what can you do to help alleviate the emotional upheaval you may feel.

Acknowledge your feelings and your transition stage.

Change and transitions are tough. Sometimes just being able to name the reason for your emotional response helps quiet your feelings. (This is also true for dealing with a person going through their own transition--you can have a lot more empathy for your teenager's bad attitude when you understand what stage of transition they are working through).

Also, it is important to note that transitions are NOT linear. You may alternate between sadness/anger and stress/uncertainty as you process the change in your life. (You may be upset that you lost your job, and are stressed out about getting a new one--depending on the day).

Create a calming ritual.

Why are funerals so important? Because they are a ritualistic acknowledgement of the loss everyone attending has suffered. Funerals are the embodiment of a transitional ending, and are incredibly cathartic. But, it isn't just sad changes that should be acknowledged.

Happy changes also have a component of ending/loss in them that needs an emotional home. A Bachelor/Bachelorette party is a perfect example of a ritual celebrating the end of someone's single life.

Utilize positive self-talk.

During one's neutral zone stage, the lack of certainty and firm footing can be paralyzing. Since there is no short-cut through the neutral zone, one has to find ways to accept a level of uncertainty as you transition. If you are anything like me, you worry about what "could be" a lot. I have recently found two powerful mantras (think priming) for me to evoke whenever worry starts shutting me down.

"Thank you for right now." My worries are never about what is happening in the present moment--they are about what already happened or what may happen. One way to recenter myself is to remember that I cannot change the past and I cannot control the future, but I can be thankful for what I have right this very moment. This song (Blessed by Brett Dennen) is my go-to "be in the moment" track. You may also like the Serenity Prayer.

"When nothing is certain, everything is possible." I was literally just introduced to this quote yesterday and it really resonated with me. I never worry about something good happening, only about all the bad things that could happen. This quote helps remind me that it is just as likely that something amazing can happen, focusing me on the positive. See also: Impossible is Nothing.

Find Comfort in Community.

There are almost 7 billion people on this planet. It is safe to safe that there is unlikely to be any change, no matter how good or bad, that at least a few others have already gone through. Network with these people to learn how they managed a similar change and transition. You may also find comfort in the listening ear or support from family, friends, or mental health professionals.

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No matter where you are in your goal-achieving, I am sure you can benefit from figuring out how the emotional transition you are making is impacting the change you are trying to make. Good luck as you continue your change and transition journeys!

Be the Miracle

- by Matt Leedham

I love it when silly little things smack you upside the head and spark an idea, or better yet…action! Last night I turned on the TV after dinner and saw that the 2^nd half of Bruce Almighty was playing. Toward the end of the movie, God tells Bruce:

“You want to see a miracle, son? BE the miracle.”

I thought about this line all night. And then other things started to pop into my head. How about this gem?

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Maybe Gandhi and God are saying the same thing. And yes, I know God was Morgan Freeman in a Hollywood comedy film. But the message was the same, and that’s what’s important.

Then I thought of something else I posted on Facebook a couple of months ago.

“If you see a problem, it’s yours. If you think somebody should do something about it, remember, you’re as much a somebody as anybody.” - Center for Zen Buddhism

I hope that this sparks you to take action in your community. I hope you will take ownership of problems that you see around you.

However, I also hope it sparks you to take action in your personal lives. Don’t hope for the miracle that’s going to get you everything you want in your career, family, health, relationships, etc. BE the miracle. Be the change you want to see in your own life. If you see a problem within you, guess what…you own it. Do something about it.

How will you be the miracle today? This week? This month? Leave a comment below.