Why Change Is Hard, and What the Struggle Is Really Teaching You
Have you ever noticed that when you start something new, all goes really well at first and then…BAM!
Sh-ift hits the fan.
Unexpected bills show up, you get sick, your car or some technology falls apart. Just when things are going good, life stumbles.
It’s enough to make you second guess doing anything new, fun, or adventurous. You start to see these things as signs you shouldn’t be going down that path.
But in reality, these are signs that you are ABSOLUTELY going down the RIGHT path.
Why change is hard in the beginning
When you shift your life and start something new and exciting, something that will take you to the next level of existence, your world needs to shift as well. This comes with some bumps in the road, things you need to clear up before fully stepping into that new life.
When you go sailing on that new boat, you can’t bring the whole house with you. You have to make some decisions on what goes with you and what gets left behind. You also don’t want to leave that sink full of dishes and leftover food on the counter while you travel along this new adventure.
The hidden obstacles that appear during change
There are things you need to complete before fully stepping into this new life and they will show up as you start stepping onto the on-ramp. I call these things Shift-Storms™. But don’t worry! Your boat won’t leave without you, so give yourself some grace and take care of what shows up.
I’ve had many a setback as I’ve built my business and new life away from Corporate. There was a year and a half where I had to pull WAY back in order to take care of my dad as he transitioned to his next great adventure off planet. An unexpected kitchen remodel that left us without that room for six months. And, just recently, my mom fell and that was a two-month derailment as we got her taken care of. Just to name a few.
But all of these things have brought with them loads of growth and breakthroughs in areas I never really knew existed. Relationships were healed, boundaries were set, blocks were discovered and removed, and amazing leaps were made.
All of those experiences allowed me to clean up my side of the street, see what was theirs and what was mine, and prepare my life for my BIG Dream to come to fruition.
Why change is hard on relationships and identity
This is what happens to everyone when you start to focus on something new. It’s part of the process. Because when you shift, the world around you has to shift.
The people around you need to acclimate to your new way of being…and sometimes that means fights and separations. But sometimes that means clearing out what doesn’t work so that you can work even better together. More intimacy and connection, bringing a shared vision of the future.
When you find yourself in a Shift-Storm, BREATHE! Step back from panic mode for just a second, and take a look at what this storm is doing FOR you. Is it cleaning up your finances, relationships, living spaces? What is it removing that, if you really think about it, isn’t serving you at all? What can you look forward to when this situation is all over? Where’s the upgrade?
There is always sunshine after a storm and the world is a little quieter and calmer once it’s done. The grass smells fresher, the animals a little perkier, and the fruit a little sweeter. The same goes for the storms in your life…if you don’t get stuck in the muck of it all.
If you find yourself wondering why change is hard, just know it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because change is asking you to clear space, adjust expectations, and grow into a new way of being. Those moments of disruption, doubt, and emotional turbulence aren’t signs to turn back. It’s an invitation to pause, breathe, and allow the upgrade that’s already underway to happen.
If you’re in the middle of a shift right now and want a quiet moment to reconnect with what you’re moving toward, I invite you to download The BIG Dream Visualization. It’s a guided experience designed to help you settle your nervous system, reconnect with your inner direction, and remember what this next chapter of yours is really about, so you can keep moving forward with clarity and confidence.