Change is inevitable, both in our personal and professional lives. It can feel good and liberating, and it can feel really scary. Up until recently I was working with a company, but over the past few months, it had started to feel no longer right for me. For some time, I resisted making any changes, because I really wanted it to work for both myself and the company.

However, I came to realise that all the effort I was making was not reaping the results I needed. It felt like I was rowing a small boat upstream against a flood. I wasn’t happy and it was hard work to keep going. Deep down, I knew I needed to make some real changes. So, I finally took the decision to step away from my role. It was a big decision, but the right one…. But still – really hard!

I’ve been thinking about my reasons for making the changes I have, and why it’s okay to sometimes take a step away from things and consider the options. It seems we humans forget to do this. Often, we can’t change an event that’s happening, because it is outside of our control. But, we can change our approach – and our investment of time and energy.

When viewed with the right perspective, the changes I am making are positive.

Learning when to step away from something is an important part of the process of embracing change. It enables us to prioritise what is important to us, to build our resilience and to focus on the opportunities that are available for personal development, growth, and even having more fun, along the way.

I now appreciate that embracing change has transformed what was adversity into an opportunity. I was so embroiled in trying to effect change as a COO, that I lost sight of who I was, what my needs as an individual were, and the original goal. By stepping back and taking stock [see my Taking Stock blog], I realised by changing my outlook and appreciating what I needed, I could try new things and be adventurous. In fact, I can now see things much more positively, because I have stepped away from a role which was no longer right for me.

Change is not easy, but taking a few little risks and stepping out of familiar routines means I know my small steps will ultimately lead to much bigger things.

I still feel scared and uncertain at times – constantly asking myself, is this the right thing? But, that’s because I am in a period of adjustment. I am learning more about myself and developing greater persistence, resilience, flexibility, and courage, because of this change.

When viewed with the right perspective, the changes I am making are positive. I can’t be sure what the future holds, but I am confident in my abilities to tackle new challenges.

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