#reverb16 // January // Change

Sarah and I are continuing the #reverb challenge into 2016 with monthly prompts, you can join in anytime by signing up here. There is no obligation to write every month or even post what you write, signing up is just about receiving a prompt and using it as you wish. Use the #reverb16 hashtag when posting on social media so we can find you!

January's prompt is: Change. A lot of people use January as a jumping off point to implement changes in their lives. How do you implement change? Slowly? Cold turkey? Incrementally with a plan?

Change is a funny thing for me. I crave change, I question change, and I adapt easily in most cases. The key for me is that I have to intrinsically desire the change. It doesn't have to be my idea- I don't have any issue taking direction from others- but it has to make sense to me and it has to be positive in some way (happiness, wellness, efficiency). After which, the implementation is quite easy.

So, how do I get from Process A to Process B? The actual change itself from A to B can happen swiftly. With me, always the hardest part and the long pole in the tent is processing the process. The thinking. I do an absurd and somewhat obsessive amount of thinking. So, in that light, with me there is always a plan. That's what it boils down to, all this thinking, is deciding whether the change makes sense to me or not. Depending on how complex my decision making process is, that determines whether the change gets implemented immediately, slowly, step by step, etc. If I have mixed emotions, but enough to push me over the edge, I can drag my feet a bit, just in case I want to change my mind and dig my heels in instead!

Gretchen Rubin identifies Four Tendencies in her book, Better Than Before.

The Upholder: Meets inner and outer expectations

The Obligor: Meets outer expectations, Resists inner expectations

The Questioner: Resists outer expectations, Meets inner expectations

The Rebel: Resists inner and outer expectations

Without even taking the quiz, based on my description of myself above, you can easily see that I am a Questioner. I have no issue meeting expectations I place on myself, but question expectations that are put upon me until I can internalize them and make them my own. So, basically, I have to make all changes expectations I place on myself. I have never said "Oh, I'll just take your word for it." Nope, not me. If you're unsure of how you handle change, you can take the quiz here!

Making a change is simple, but unless you understand yourself well, it isn't always easy.

#Reflect #reverb16