Change

creating change for yourself so you can have a better chance at life

Change is inevitable. Being alive is change, down to the minute biological processes that make us tick. While change is very much a part of us, it can be something we’re incredibly resistant to. Comfort is necessary; without some level of consistency in our lives, it can be difficult to find a sense of ease or a sense of self. This consistency is essential in business as well; you can’t go from being a fast food joint to a tech company without basically creating an entirely new business. Change, too, is essential in business, from how we manage our supply to how we deliver services. We should always strive to become better. This balance between change and comfort can be a difficult one to strike, and when change is coming, it can be difficult to adjust. The key is mindfulness.

There are a few ways of defining mindfulness, but the gist of it is this: when you bring your attention to the present moment, you’re being mindful. That can mean paying attention to the sounds around you, to the feeling of the keyboard under your fingers, to the sensation of your own breath, or to any other number of things. When it comes to change, mindfulness is useful because it allows us to bring our attention to why we might be resistant to change. When you hear about a potential change, or think of engaging in it, instead of just feeling bad about it, dive into that feeling. Explore what is worrisome about the change. Let’s say you’re worried the change won’t be effective; evaluate what you don’t think will be effective, and plan some contingencies for if it doesn’t work out. Perhaps you feel the change will be effective, but you’re worried about your competence; now that you know the source of your ills, you can work to shore up the areas in which you feel you’re less skilled. Mindfulness is a powerful skill because it puts control back in your hands – you can handle the shifting sands because you are consistent.

An individual can be mindful, and it can help them embrace change; can a business do the same? Certainly not in the traditional sense; a business has no set subjective experience on which it can reflect. What is a business, though, but a collection of interactions between individuals? When your staff, your suppliers, your clients, and everyone else important to your business is mindful, does that make your business mindful? It certainly seems to help with change; imagine mindful feedback from every individual who interacts with your business. That would help you keep the pulse on how things are going, and whether or not change has been effective. Encourage feedback from all parties on a regular basis, through surveys, one-on-one conversations, e-mails; whatever it takes.

This time of year, change is great; business can be a bit slow, and you might have some time to evaluate what worked well and what didn’t in 2018. Looking at your books, you might realize you need Compass Accounting to help you file correctly; we’re here to help.