Preparing for Change is Important; Coping with Change is a Necessity (January 2012)
By Bridget MacMillan
Lately I have been thinking about the difference between being prepared for change; and coping with change as it occurs. Preparing for change is a challenge all of us face in our lives, and now we face it if not on a daily basis, then on a continuum close to that. Whether due to technology or corporate decisions or economic forces, change is usually one phone call, email, or meeting away. I prepare for change by keeping informed of trends and business news; keeping an open mind when new initiatives are announced; and by thinking about the bigger picture of my place in this world today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Living through change also reinforces that the more prepared you are for it; the less likely the impact of it will be negative. But no matter how prepared you are, when real change is experienced it can still be dramatic – exhilarating, exciting, exhausting, inspiring, numbing, or any combination of these emotions! In the past few months I have experienced change that has me reflecting on my preparedness and my coping skills. What I have learned is that being prepared is important, but being able to cope, react, and move ahead is of equal importance. Because there is no way to be prepared for every eventuality; if you have your coping skills honed you can accept the change, maybe even embrace it, and avoid being overwhelmed by it. The coping skills that I now value even more, and keep finely tuned include the following: a sense of humor; deep friendships and family ties; a willingness to try new activities to keep my creative muscles flexed; and reading, reading, reading.
Identifying these coping skills is one thing, how do I keep them from getting rusty? To me a sense of humor is crucial to every day being an adventure! I look for the humor in the smallest experiences, and when a truly funny experience occurs, I capture it in writing, and work on the telling of the story to make it memorable to me, and to others who hear it!
With all the connectivity we have available to us, for me the best way to maintain a deep tie to someone is talking, whether in person or over the phone. Facial expressions and vocal intonations convey so much! I have a large, extended family across the country; and many, many friends in far-flung places. Trying to find a time to talk can be difficult, so email, Facebook, and texting keep us informed, but for me the richness of the connection is in sharing a meal, conversation, funny story, or sympathetic shoulder to lean on. I found this to be true very recently when an unexpected change occurred, it would have been easy to remain isolated with the news, but instead I talked to others immediately and found comfort in their voices, and the isolation was kept at bay.
Last year I challenged myself to try new activities, the first was a pottery class, the second was a leaded glass class and the third was a photography class. All of them challenged me to reveal my lack of artistic talent, but they also provided laughter and stories! And they inspired me! I have continued with the pottery, and have become proficient at creating bowls, mugs, plates, vases, and more! The joy for me is sinking my hands in the clay, and making something, anything, that is a true, physical item. So much of the work I do every day is intangible, emails, webinars, presentations, that have no physical manifestation. With this class I am a creator of an item. And that makes me incredibly happy! This year I have already taken a flower arranging class, and am scheduling a mosaic tile class. My fingers will get cut, my ego will be dashed, but I will be enlivened!
Reading, reading, reading! If there is one activity that is as close to breathing as being necessary for me to live, it is reading. I have to read every day to stay balanced. A recent and exciting change for me was that Chicago Public Library now offers eBooks for borrowing! My Kindle always has a book ready for me, and my overdue fines no longer exist because the system automatically returns the book on the due date. This has expanded the reading possibilities in my world, and fostered my daily reading habit even more. My challenge is to turn off the light and go to sleep at bedtime!
This year was only two weeks old when the first dramatic change struck my world. Was I prepared? Yes, because when it comes to corporate decisions there are no surprises for me at this junction. Was I able to cope? Yes, because my skills were close at hand; humor, affection, creativity, inquiry; all provided support, stability, and lightness during a challenging time. And this most recent experience reinforces that while being prepared is important, being able to cope is a necessity.
