Crisis: The Motivation to Change?
A river carves a path of least resistance; The path of a river is determined by three things, slope, volume, and terrain. The slope decides how the water will flow; the volume dictates how the terrain will yield to it. From this a river path is formed. In normal circumstances the river will flow in its created path but there will be times, like a heavy rain event, when it will put so much pressure on the river path, that it will alter the course and carve out new paths, so it can cope with the additional volume and flow of water.
“Don’t wait for crisis to make a change”
The heavy rain event mentioned above is like a crisis in our lives, it makes us respond differently and causes us to change. The world has experienced many major crises over the years like wars, severe weather events and pandemics. There is clear evidence that after all major crises that society changed. Life after a major crisis doesn’t go back to normal, it creates a new normal.
The following phases occur through a Major Crisis:
1. Pre Crisis - Anxiety and Uncertainty
This is when you are aware that something significant is happening but haven’t fully comprehended the scale or severity of the event. You will be in tension about how your normal will be affected.
2. Crisis Event - Survival and Coping
When the Event has hit, there are different levels of escalation, and the levels of severity are dependent on proximity. People rally together, help, support and even put themselves at risk for the sake of others. In this phase you are fighting for your normality back.
3. Post Crisis - Grieving and Response
The crisis has ended, and you now have time to assess the damage, count the cost and grieve the loss. The effects will be reshaping and redefining.
4. Resolution – Rebuild and Re-establish
You will come to terms with the loss and realise that to move forward you need to rebuild, restore, and reform. You will build on the resilience you gained through enduring the crisis. It may feel like you are building towards what you came from, but it won’t. You have grown and learnt through the event. Life moving forward can’t be the same as before. The difficulty and pain have refined you, and you become stronger because of it.
You can use this as motivation and apply it to your own betterment. If you are wanting to grow and change, do you need to wait for a crisis? No! you need to do the following:
· Visualize:
Become resolved in understanding the type of person you want to become. This can be achieved by creating a vision board. This is a collection of pictures that are similar to what you want to see for yourself. There needs to be a strong conviction and passion towards the motivation behind the change. Keep the vision board in front of you everyday
· Plan:
Set specific goals that align with who you are and the person you want to become. Ensure they are SMART goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound
· Grieve
You sit in a tension between, where you were, and where you want to be. Letting go of where you were, what you knew, and the familiar places of comfort and security is an important step for change
· Rebuild
o Replace old habits and behaviours with new ones, nothing will change unless something changes
o Hold yourself accountable to the change, this will look different depending on who you are, but it is critical to the success
o Gain a better understanding of who you are and what you are motivated by. Understand your strengths, values, and beliefs
o Recite daily mantras to remind yourself every day of why you are making a change and who you want to become. It should sound like knocking down the old building and putting up a new one
o Discover new environments and relationships
o Create new disciplines that help you to keep on track and accountable to your plan.
o Celebrate the achievements towards your goals. Ultimately, you are changing in relation to how you think, feel, and behave
Crisis is certainly a motivator in bringing about change but it is unpredictable, uncertain, and painful. Being purposeful about personal growth is motivating, challenging and manageable.
My 5 Learnings:
· Major crisis brings about the need to change
· Grief is a part of change and needs to be acknowledged
· I don’t need to wait for a crisis to grow and change
· Replacing old habits with new habits is helpful when making transitions
· I need to have a clear vision of who I want to become
Life needs to become a space where we can constantly learn and grow. Once you have started on a growth pathway it becomes easier.
My 3 Questions for you:
· How often do you wait for a life crisis to make a change?
· Where are you and what do you want to become?
· What will you do to grow personally?
"Change before you have to." Jack Welch
If you need help with personal growth and change, or if you have questions, please talk to me. I would be happy to chat with you and help.
Remember daily to, “Find value in your influence”
Written By: Paul Fawcett.
