Change is the Catalyst of Life

"Change; to make the future course of something different from what it is"

So you want things to be different? Being at a turning point in your life can mean many things, but most importantly it can mean change. Change is often met with resistance, and may be looked at as a source of stress, but it doesn't need to be that way. What if you could think about change in a whole new way? What if the idea of change brought about excitement and inspiration ? What if change was the catalyst for something more?

With the following steps, you can prepare for and embrace change as you bring new life into your reality.

Step 1: Recognize your Desire to Change

The first action step to moving your life in a new direction is to simply recognize that you want things to be different. This idea may seem trivial, but if you are not aware that you want to create change you will never begin to take action. The need to make a shift is often the result of frustration, stress and uncomfortable feelings. But know that these feelings are just signals helping you understand that new opportunities are available to you. Being able to become aware that you consciously want to change your circumstances allows you to move forward instead of remaining where you are at. So take a moment and commit to your desire to make changes in your life.

Step 2: Decide you will take the steps necessary to move forward

The decision to change the circumstances in your daily life is not a simple one. In order to move forward, you must commit to doing things differently, and that isn't always easy. Deciding to develop a long term commitment to create new habits and actions is nothing to be taken lightly, but the rewards of doing so will move you closer to the life that you desire. So be sure to commit to your decision to move forward.

Step 3: Uncover what isn't working

Before you move to actually creating your ideal life, it is important to take a closer look at what is and isn't working right now. If you are unhappy, take the time to uncover what it really is that is causing it. Finances keeping you up at night? Ask yourself what is the real concern; not enough cash to take that vacation & pay bills or is it that you feel as though you are underpaid for what you do. Maybe it's a personal relationship, parenting or other reasons, only you can uncover what isn't working, and in doing so you will find what you want to change.

Step 4: Design your ideal life

Knowing what you want out of life is a key step to meeting change with a positive attitude . If you are excited about what you are moving toward, you will be more likely to stay with the process of doing so. So take some time and think about how you want to spend your day, who you want to spend it with, and what you want your life to look like. This goal, or vision, will become your focal point and you will use it as you create action steps in step 5.

Step 5: Take action that moves you forward

In order to make anything happen, you will need to take action and create habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine. Ask yourself what type of activity would you be willing to do on a regular basis that moves you toward your ideal life design? These activities or habits need to be simple and easy to execute, so that you can do them over and over again without much thought. Creating change in your life is about consistent positive action that compounded over time will move you ahead, and determine your degree of success.

Step 6: Evaluate to stay on track

The final step in any process of change is to take the time and evaluate whether your new habits are actually doing what they were designed to do. If you aren't moving toward your goal, revisit the previous steps and know that all of your efforts are moving you forward, and it is all part of creating a catalyst that brings change into your life.

As you move forward on your path to change, keep your eye on your ideal life, take the time to make sure that the actions you take everyday are leading you there, and learn that change brings opportunity.