Successfully Navigating Change

"The Universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it."

-Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Organizations and individuals respond to change differently. Some individuals and organizations embrace and are even stimulated by change. Others work hard to keep the status quo in place, and resist change at every juncture. Whatever approach to change you take, how we think about change is critical to successfully navigating through it.

Case in point is my recent relocation to Minneapolis, Minnesota after many years in Kansas City. Early in the summer of 2010, I made the decision to return to Minneapolis to help care for my aging mother. Not only was I uprooting my life, and consulting practice, but also building a new professional network in Minneapolis. Additionally, I was co-chairing a September fundraiser and preparing for the physical move. I had two choices at this point. I could focus on all there was to do and become overwhelmed or I could see the change full of possibilities. I chose the latter. As a result, I navigated the many changes with a degree of peace and serenity.

How do you think about change in your life? How do you think about change in your organization? Do you resist it or embrace it? The thoughts we think will determine how successfully we navigate through it.

How do you navigate through change?