Happy New Year! And welcome back to the office. Today, I’m writing to you from Portugal, where I’m on a trip with my boyfriend and his family. Here’s today’s remote office view:
Did you set any New Year’s Resolutions? One of mine is to adapt to change with ease and grace this year. And, to step out of my comfort zone! The two go hand in hand…
We all have to get good at adapting to change, as that’s the only thing that’s guaranteed. On the state level, Maryland has a new governor, which will mean there will be new state leadership, programs, and priorities. When leadership changes in economic development or tourism, it can throw off our well-laid plans. A program you were passionate about might not get funded again as another initiative gets added to your plate. We can adapt to changes in leadership by educating those who are new coming in and being prepared to share the numbers and measurements to justify what we’re doing and what’s working.
At the end of the day, we all have to have a little bit of surrender, knowing that some choices are out of control. It’s easier to do so when we know we have thoroughly stated our case!
On a personal level, I’m adapting to some change because my boyfriend Bob got a new job, and this means he’ll no longer be cooking dinner for us every night! Now, I’m going to be the one in the kitchen preparing our dinners – which isn’t exactly my #1 strength. 🙂
In order to make sure that our dinners are not just edible but also delicious, Bob is training me and giving me cooking lessons. So far, my ability to prepare a good salmon dinner has next-leveled, and I’m also rocking a breakfast smoothie to send him on his way.
Other changes I’m in the midst of are…
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I’m studying for the CEcD exam, which is coming up in May. Studying and coming up with memorization habits is new for me.
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My daughter Tabitha is also graduating from college. It seems like just yesterday I was sharing with you how she got her driver’s license!
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We’ll also be onboarding a new staff member soon, which requires time and diligence to train and bring someone up to speed.
I’ve been leaning into meditation on a more regular basis to keep things in perspective. It’s helping me to pause in those moments when I have a knee-jerk reaction and am tempted to be short with my team or friends or family. It’s helping me stay in a state of trust and presence.
Change doesn’t always come with perfectly easy transitions. Some of the stages of change are uncomfortable, but that’s part of the learning process. We can better adapt to change by focusing on progress over perfection and by figuring out what we can embrace about it.
Change pushes us to tap into our resilience, stretch ourselves, and become life-long learners. These skill sets can benefit us whether we are adjusting to new leadership, new technology, team transitions, or lifestyle changes.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on adapting to change, or your goals for the New Year. Send us a message to share.
Reimagining Places With You,
Sandy and the PPR Strategies Team
P.S. Do you need help adapting to change? Is there a goal you have for 2023 that you’d like some help with? Sometimes the change can be asking for help! Set up a free 15-minute consultation here to explore how we can support you in the new calendar year.
