We live in a world where there is more change than ever. Technology is progressing so quickly, jobs are being outsourced and automated and our anxiety is skyrocketing. I actually heard this referred to as the Great Restructuring this week!
We haven’t quite learned how to deal with this much change yet. Our brain seeks security and stability to validate the false promise that if we work hard and keep under the radar we will be safe.
But embracing a state of impermanence is now an essential life skill that you wish you learned in school.
There are 2 sides to change. It’s not just about adding something new. Sometimes it’s about surrender and letting something go.
I drew this sketch-note to explore the cyclical nature of change.
I’m going through a major restructure at work at the moment and I can definitely see both sides of the change coin. I’m adding new experiences into the picture but I’m surrendering my colleagues, old processes and customers to their own path. It is incredibly difficult (more than I thought) to watch your work family break apart. Even if some of that letting go is in their best interest and their choice. At the moment, it’s difficult to visualise the other side-it’s a whole new chapter for me. In fact, today is my last day in my old job.
There’s so much unknown which is unsettling.
I’ll keep you updated as I move through this process.
I don’t have any tips or tricks to manage major change just yet. It’s more about understanding what it means for me at the moment and accepting that it’s here to stay. Perhaps on the other side I’ll be able to offer some more practical actions to take.
What helps you embrace a state of impermanence?
