CH-CH-CH-Changes...turn and face the strange. (Or is it strain?)

CH-CH-CH-Changes…turn and face the strange. (Or is it strain?)

We can easily sing along to the beloved Bowie hit, but why are making changes so difficult for many of us? Most likely because changes take us out of the familiar and send us down a new path. They stretch our boundaries and force us to explore unchartered and sometimes uncomfortable territory.

Many of us like to wake up each day knowing exactly what we are facing and we don’t want strange (or strain for that matter) to be any part of it.  

But what if we approach change in a manageable way. I like to refer to it as the “baby steps” principle. Decide to change one simple (or not so simple) thing each week in order to better your life!  

First, pick one thing or habit that you have been considering changing for a while. For example, this week forgo the soda pop, and drink fresh ice-cold water with a squeeze of lemon or lime instead.

Next, write down the pros and cons of each change; putting ideas and thoughts in writing helps to make them real and more attainable.

Lastly, hold yourself accountable, but don’t beat yourself up if you are not able to change or groove the new pattern the first time around! That’s why I call it “baby steps”; we may start slowly heading in the right direction but stumble a few times before we make it. It took me 3 solid attempts to quit smoking before I was able to succeed. Three times is a charm! Don’t give up, your next attempt may be the one that sticks.

The key is to start today!

Your Coach,

Cecily

A funny side note I discovered about the song: "...we were singing 'Changes' for the purposes of a sound-check. When we reached the chorus David stopped the band, walked over to Gui and me, and asked us to sing our part. We duly obliged. David doubled up with laughter. For two-and-a-half months we had been singing 'turn and face the strain' instead of 'turn and face the strange'. From then on, every time we performed that song David would stick his arse out towards us and make like he was trying to squeeze one out, which would make us both laugh and fluff the line even worse."  -Geoff MacCormack