What a strange world we’re living in right now! A world of constant change.
Sometimes world situations, crises, and trauma cause us to change at a quicker rate than we had expected. It is essential in these times to not only consider what is happening around us, but to use the time wisely. Then we can come out of these uncertain times prepared, on fire, and even advanced in our thinking, in our success, and in our profitability.
How can you maximize uncomfortable situations so that you might not only grow, but evolve and transform during these uncertain times?
5 Steps to Turn Challenge into Transformation
There are definite keys to using challenges wisely. The most successful people use times of challenge to recreate, reinvent, and capture opportunities in the storm.
Consider these five strategies that can help you thrive and grow during times of daunting obstacles.
Step 1 – Embrace the Transformation
The first step to your turnaround and transformation strategy is to accept the fact that certain things might need to change. Even though some of your leadership strategies worked very well, other areas in your life, both on a personal level, and in your business, were misaligned.
Choose your turnaround transformation response:
- You can resist transformation, complain, and do nothing. This passive attitude might leave you feeling like a victim of the circumstance or challenge.
- On the flip side, you can embrace the uncomfortable feelings, financial stresses, and management structures that you now need to lead through.
- You accept that many elements of your world of work and your personal life is no longer available.
- You can begin to do the necessary work, buckle down, and up-level your efforts to embrace the transformation and opportunities that are present – even in these uncertain times.
Step 2 – Let Go of the Old
The second step in your transformation journey is to let go of the old. You begin to understand that the world as you knew it, in some regards, is no longer available.
Choose your turnaround transformation response:
- Accepting that we need to let go, is hard, and resistance can set in.
- No doubt you will have to make many tough choices in admitting what hasn’t worked.
- Take what worked well, identify what didn’t work, and use this awareness as lessons to create an even greater present and future state for yourself, your business, your family, and in all other areas of your life.
Step 3 – Allow time to Grieve
In letting go of the old, it’s important to grieve. In my experience, an important part of moving through an emotion quickly is to embrace it. The more we resist it, the more likely it is that the emotion will return in an uglier state.
Choose your turnaround transformation response:
- Allow yourself to feel sad, angry, frustrated, disappointed, or whatever emotion arises during this time.
- Don’t fall for the false belief that some emotions are good for us and that others are bad and should be avoided.
- When you don’t hang a “positive” or “negative” badge on your emotions, you can experience them objectively.
- Journal about your feelings and your thoughts. Often, during this process, you will create new actions that support your growth and healing.
Step 4 – Brainstorm new Opportunities
The fourth key element of transformation is to brainstorm new opportunities. Once you move beyond the grieving, you will start to see the light again and say, “Ok, these are tough times, but I’m starting to see new opportunities.”
Choose your turnaround transformation response:
- Focus on what could be vs. what you had that is no longer available.
- Set aside time to make a list of at least 25 or more ideas.
- First ideas come easy. Now flush out a longer list. This is more difficult, but this is where you will come up with the brilliant ideas.
- Once this list is created, the final step of brainstorming is to pick your top three to five ideas that really resonate with you. These are the ideas that match your passion and where you can start to take aligned action.
Step 5 – Create an Action Plan
The fifth and final step is to create an aligned action plan. So many entrepreneurs, creative thinkers, and business people have grand ideas, and yet, they fail to take one little step in the direction of that dream. These ideas can often sit with us for many years, or sometimes decades and never get off the ground. This causes frustration.
I’ve always believed that the big difference between a dream and reality is the action plan in-between.
Choose your turnaround transformation response:
- Start with your big vision – the magical plan that you might have in your mind and journal about it.
- Flush it out in detail, and then back-up to the beginning of where you are now.
- Think about the top five action steps that you can take now that might move you closer to that dream or that new result. (No doubt, some of your action steps might shift and transform as you go. That’s OK.)
- Then, create the next three to five action steps.
- Create a simple daily plan for brainstorming and visioning, and checking in on your new strategy.
- Your daily plan should include intentional time for opening your mind to receiving the new way to shift your thoughts.
The practice of doing these five steps are simple and very manageable. This is how you can release the old stories that are holding you back and embrace the full capacity and potential that you have burning inside.
The key is to spend time thinking through what you really want for your life. Then, spend time doing these steps, and finally, allowing the turnaround and the transformation to take hold.
There is light for your journey. There is light for your future. You know the answers. Keep them close in your heart, and keep stepping forward one day, one big idea at a time.
Before long, you are well on your path to seeing your dream become a reality.
Join Me for a Free Coaching Introductory Call
Are you facing challenges that are preventing you from moving ahead? I invite you to schedule a free 30-minute coaching introductory call with me. No charge, no obligation. To schedule contact me on 320/241-9910, or email me at sandy@sandyhansenwolff.com