Change is good. We've all heard that.  But change is neither good nor bad. How we deal with it determines whether we think it's good or bad.  The pace of change is accelerating. A person I know recently said, "I haven't yet adapted to the last change before the next one hits me in the face."  That's how a lot of people feel now. Job uncertainty, rising inflation, changing technologies that impact our everyday life, children growing up too fast, all can make people frightened and off-balance. 

The secret to dealing with change

Here's the secret to dealing with change. We have to accept that change is going to happen whether we like it or not. Accept change BEFORE it happens.  How do we do that?

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross identified the five stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Everyone goes through at least two of them whenever a major change occurs in our lives. The faster we are able to get to 'acceptance' the better off we are.

How do we do that?

We must be informed.

Look around. We go through our lives all too often looking straight ahead, focusing on a very narrow field of vision. I'm reminded of this on my commute when I suddenly notice an entire building has gone up right next to the road and I never noticed it! It didn't spring up overnight. There was a whole building process that went on. The site was excavated, a foundation set, only then did the walls go up. But I was looking straight ahead and didn't pay attention to the peripherals.

The most important information is often at the peripherals.

In your work, do you pay attention to what's happening in your industry? How your company compares to others in the same industry? Are you reading what's happening in your area's economy? You don't have to become an economic expert. You do need to have an idea of what changes might be ahead. You can't have your head in the sand.

Prepare yourself for change.
Adapt the attitude that at any moment you are prepared to have to begin anew. Be confident that you will thrive in any change. That's right. Others may wilt but you will thrive.  Assess all your best skills, talents, and relationships. Get your resume out of mothballs and update it to the current workplace, emphasizing key achievements. Identify people who you could use as references. Look at any of your social networking profiles and redo them to put yourself in the best possible light. Be the best employee you can at your current workplace by being fully engaged in your work, offering suggestions, and taking on extra responsibilities. Position yourself as someone who is a key person.

Consider extra training and enroll in a class. On line classes through your community college are a fantastic way to improve your skills in a way that fits your schedule.

All these steps will both give you added confidence in your current position and confidence that you'll succeed if a change occurs.

Practice financial intelligence
If you think a job change might be coming, be financially conservative. In the best case scenario, you'll be making more money with a better future. This is what you're setting yourself up for in all the prep work I just mentioned. But until you get that promotion or go to a different company, in a phase of uncertainty, avoid making big unnecessary purchases. Delay buying that new car or house or the big vacation. Build up your savings account so you have at least three months of expenses covered if you will be out of work for while.

Change is exciting
Remember that change can be invigorating and exciting. Life would be boring if it was the same all the time, wouldn't it? So prepare for change..and embrace it!