Life coach, Leah Sefor and nutritionist and NLP practitioner, Nicci Robertson discuss the challenges of embracing change, highlighting the brain’s resistance to the unknown. They suggest techniques for reframing fear as excitement, taking proactive steps, managing expectations, breaking down goals, and seeking support where needed. The conversation provides a comprehensive guide for individuals ready to navigate significant life changes.
Navigating Fear By Being Flexible in Unfamiliar Territory
Making major changes in life can be a daunting prospect. This often prevents us from breaking free from toxic situations or exploring uncharted territory. With the right strategy, it’s quite possible to overcome fear and embrace change, for the better.
The human brain’s inclination for familiarity, even in discomfort, often holds us back. Our brains resist change, favouring the known, and our conscious mind tends to highlight potential dangers, be they physical or emotional. Procrastination becomes a byproduct, hindering us from taking the leap into a new, unfamiliar situation. This may be in relationships, careers, social situations or even a relocation.
In a world filled with uncertainty, the desire for safety and control intensifies. To break this pattern, there are various strategies that you can employ including a process of rewiring our perception of fear and transforming it into excitement. This requires a conscious shift in our thinking. By recognising the chemical similarity between fear and excitement, individuals can adjust their mindset, bravely confronting the challenges presented by the world.
Intention setting is an alternative to traditional goal setting. The idea here is that setting a goal means that you have an end result in mind. While not a bad thing, this can lead people to believe they have failed if they have not reached their goal. Rather, by setting an intention, you do not have to define a definitive outcome. This way, every small step is a success. By taking these small, manageable steps and using available resources, fear diminishes, and a sense of fulfilment in the present moment emerges.
You could look at this through the lense of adopting a new nutrition plan. People who try to change everything all at once often fail. Those who make small, consistent changes over time will often achieve far greater, and long-lasting success. Now think of making major life changes, trying to do too much at once is daunting, and you may decide to rather stay right where you are. But if you take the smaller steps, learn a new skill, expand your network, change one perosnal habit, suddenly you’re moving forward. This allows you to slowly build momentum until you suddenly realise that your life has shifted significantly. It’s also important to recognise that if one thing is not working, you can also set it aside and move on to something different where you may see greater success. Staying flexible in career, health, and life choices becomes crucial for long-term happiness.
Finally, it’s important that you begin to view failures as learning experiences. No one was born knowing everything, and no one ever made it in life without making a mistake. Setbacks should not define self-worth but rather serve as stepping stones to explore alternative paths. Life is a journey, not a destination. For those contemplating a leap into the unknown, there’s a simple roadmap – be excited, set intentions, and relish the journey. In a world that challenges us, overcoming fear and embracing change are essential for a fulfilling life.
