“Change is inevitable” is a common quote you may have seen or heard over and over again, and it is a concrete fact. Life has many facets to it and thus, can be unpredictable at so many levels. However, one thing you can always count on is change!
Previously, I wrote about the need to lean into change and accept the opportunities that changing times bring. Here, I intend to explore some right postures we need to have towards change if we want to stay ahead of it.
In order to embrace something, you’d have to understand the fine details of the thing. You have to give yourself the opportunity to process and decide on it. To encourage you to truly embrace change, I will attempt to lay it out plainly by looking at the fundamental nature of change. Shall we begin?
Present, future and past
Change is a common word that has existed for a very long time. Its closest synonyms are alter and modify, both of which imply a “previous state” and a “next state”. With this definition, it is easy to see that for as long as we will have time, previous and next states at a very base level will exist. What I’m saying is this. As long as the progression of time is unhindered, there is always going to be past, present and future, and with these states come change as time transitions from the present to future and leaves a past behind.
The implication of this is that even if you choose to remain stationary in the same place and do not move at all, you’ll still have a past, present and future—you will still be changing in some way. The only way change does not occur is if everything, including time, stops.
So, as long as the clock ticks, times will change. We will keep transitioning from season to season, one cycle to the next and moments will vary. We will keep having pleasant days and those we do not like so much. Based on these, our feelings may also fluctuate and we will encounter different opportunities. As long as the clock ticks, change will be inevitable. It’s always going to be a matter of “when” and not “if”.
Following this, if you want to stay ahead in whatever you’re doing, whether as a student or professional, your only real choice is to learn to embrace change. No matter the field you are in today, tomorrow will be different and change will come with new opportunities. Hence, rather than being indifferent to change, it is important to develop the right posture to it. So, what is the right attitude to have towards change?
1. Appreciate the nature of change
Indifference to change is detrimental; however when we learn to see change for what it is, we automatically position ourselves to benefit enormously from it. Let’s look at farming for example. For most people when the spring rains start and the summer heats hit, they become irritated and wish for the cool low-humidity autumn season when life is more bearable.
For farmers, it is the opposite. They rely heavily on the transitions in seasons as the rains indicate a time to plant seeds and the summer heat creates the right environment for crops to grow well. Seasonal changes for a farmer is a delight because the opportunities that lie within are understood. As with farming cycles, all other things follow specific transitions in time. Placing the deserved value on these changes helps to keep alertness to notice the advantages they bring. This naturally leads us into the next posture, planning.
2. Plan for change
I cannot stress the importance of this point enough. With change, planning is everything. It is one thing to appreciate change and see the potential it carries and it is quite another to be prepared for it. It is true that predicting exactly which way the tides may turn is a tedious task; nonetheless, to leave your future to chance is equally frustrating. So, what is the solution? To get to that, let’s consider an aspect of change that I believe will help us decide on the path to follow.
We have discussed that change is inevitable; but on the flipside, it is incremental. Let me put it this way. Everything going from point A to C in a linear path must go through B, and this progression takes time. In other words, moving from one place to another requires time and significant transit points cannot be circumvented. This implies that no matter how inevitable change is, it still takes time. Time that can be used to prepare and plan for opportunities!
3. Mind the indicators
In point 2, I mentioned that change is incremental and has significant transition points that cannot be circumvented. To put it more simply, there can be no summer without winter and intermediate transition seasons like spring and autumn, no matter how short, cannot be bypassed. This is true for many other things, you cannot become an adult without the teenage stage and no child is born absent pregnancy.
In the same light, you cannot transition from novice to expert without gathering the requisite experience. That’s just how life is! These transition points should not be ignored as they inherently forebode change. Paying close attention to change indicators helps with anticipating the kind of change that will occur and be ready for it.
4. Follow the trends
Passivity to trends is how people become susceptible to constant surprise. Change is one of the most consistent friends you can ever have in your life. That is because it’s all about cycles. A very wise man put it this way:
“Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before”
Ecclesiastes 3:15
In essence, change is cyclic and dependent on previous happenings. This suggests the significance of related history. When we actively and closely follow social trends, we can get a good idea of what comes next. For example, our society today has become increasingly sensitive about the adverse effects of human activities on the environment. Following this awareness, consumers have started opting for products that have a potential to fully or partially reverse these changes. As supply is dependent on demand, we are seeing a gradual change in the market to reflect this trend which is typified by the growing public appetite for eco-friendly products.
We all know that cloudy skies mean rain because every time the skies become cloudy, it rains. It’s the same reasoning here. Following trends is a good attitude to cultivate to stay ahead of changing times.
5. Take action
This goes without saying but I must emphasize anyway as it’s not always apparent. We must always be ready to take action or act on the insights we collate from our observations. Dragging one’s feet in the face of the inevitable can lead to cataclysmic failure. Prudent and decisive action is always required in the face of change for no matter what you know, what you do will always be louder!
