Are you a change embracer, or do you avoid change at all costs? Maybe your attitude is contingent on whether you are driving change or if a change is being unwillingly thrust upon you. What have you noticed? Whether you approach change positively or negatively, letting go is an integral component. Seeking change will fuel the letting go process. We can’t move forward if one foot is planted in the past. We can’t engage in the present if we’re holding on too tightly to the way things used to be. We can’t grow if we aren’t willing to let go and experiment.

In this two-part Smead podcast, my friend John Hunt interviewed me about Signals for Change. We talked about eleven different cues or indicators that let you know when it might be time to make a change. As you watch the videos, consider this question:

What do you need to let go of to embrace change?

The Signals for Change – Part 1

How do you know when it’s time to make a change? In Part 1, I review five change indicators:  Boredom, spark, sleeplessness, drama, and dings. What role does letting go play in the changes you seek?

The Signals for Change – Part 2

Letting go is an integral part of the change process. In Part 2, I review six additional change cues:  Lateness, plateau, pain, environment, opportunity, and the “whoa” factor. What benefits will you experience by letting go?

Change and letting go can be stressful and challenging or exciting and freeing. Our attitude and circumstances influence how we navigate these experiences. Noticing a change indicator prepares you for the letting go process. What have you observed? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Life includes both holding on and letting go.

Loss is often associated with letting go. In these past weeks, my heart has ached for my friends, family, and colleagues that have lost their loved ones. I’m thinking of Judy, Steve, Laurene, Karen, Gail, Kathleen, Stacey and Deb who have laid to rest their father, mother, aunt, brother, son, and friends. As they’ve been covered in a blanket of sadness they’ve also found comfort and strength in sharing treasured stories with their community of friends and family.

Losing our loved ones is the most direct, visceral type of letting go. It is painful. Yet even when someone’s physical being is no longer with us, we’re able to remember and feel joy through the memories we have.

What motivates you to act? What gets you from point A to point B? I’ve got my list. You’ve got yours. I’ll share mine. Come and share yours.

Linda’s Top 10 Motivators

1. Crossing It Off

Oh, yes! Give me a piece of paper and a red pen. Just knowing that I get to steer the pen through the “to do,” can be motivation in itself to get it done.

2. Anticipating Treat

Knowing that a “sweet treat” break (like ice cream or chocolate) is on the other side can motivate me to finish.

3. Upcoming Deadline

Using a timer, a calendar, or an appointment that imposes a fixed timeframe for completion can work motivational wonders.

4. Promising Others

Following through on my commitments and staying true to my word motivates me to action.

5. Promising Self

Accountability works when I’m accountable not just to others but also to myself. Setting goals motivates me to move forward.

6. Conjuring Up Fun

When fun is involved in the doing, it draws me in and motivates me to action.

7. Reducing Pain

If not doing is causing me stress or pain, it motivates me to move forward.

8. Harnessing Nice Days

I wake up more motivated and productive on clear, sun-filled days. I like to take advantage of that when possible.

9. Calling It Quits

There’s point of no return when productivity declines. It’s like pushing a wet noodle. I’m too tired, too stressed, and too too. It’s time to stop and relax so that I can become motivation-ready once again.

10. Cheering You On

I can experience a motivation surge when I’m close but not quite done with a project or task. The “You can do it!” cheer plays over and over in my head until I reach the finish line.

Do any of these motivators work for you? Do you have a different list? Come join the conversation. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

No matter how convincing my list of 5 Compelling Reasons to Change is, I know that it’s not my reasons that matter. The five I’m sharing with you are just a few in a long line of possible motivations for change.

I’d love to find out what motivates you to make changes in your life. With your help, perhaps we can turn this list into 100+ Compelling Reasons to Change.

5 Compelling Reasons to Change

1. Pain

As Anaïs Ninsaid, “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Consider how much energy it takes to continue with the familiar. Is the pain and frustration you’re experiencing worth not changing?

2. Fear

We are all scared of something whether it’s spiders or public speaking or embracing change. Just because we’re afraid, it doesn’t mean that we can’t overcome our fears. By doing so we can experience tremendous growth, elation and increased self-confidence.

3. Desire

Motivation doesn’t have to be negative. The drivers can stem from deep yearning and passion. Change can occur when the desire for a specific result or goal is so vivid and intense that it’s almost impossible to hold yourself back from taking action. That passion can propel us forward with intensity. Allow it to be your guide.

4. Love

People don’t change until they’re ready. Sometimes, though, our motivations can come from the desire to change for someone we love. When our habits work for us, but not so well for the special people in our lives, this creates a lot of tension. Changing in order to make our relationships stronger, less stressful and more loving is another big motivator for change.

5. Opportunity

Elsye Sommer said, “Sometimes opportunity knocks like a loud windburst; more often it arrives like a burglar and disappears before you realize it was there.” Life is not dull. On a daily basis, there are many decisions to make and possibilities to consider. These options can be enticing enough to lead you towards change. With an open attitude, opportunity can be the motivator.

Do any of these ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts about reasons to change. Participate in the conversation.