When to Make a Life Change
Change is not our enemy. Without change we are nothing. Change is required and necessary in life and it is in our best interest to just embrace it. Some change is inevitable, while other changes are within our control. Being proactive about the change that is within our control will help us prevent many negative circumstances and/or emotions.
If you know it is time to make a change in some area of your life, and you ignore those signs, you risk remaining in a space not meant for you or you risk change happening to you, rather than you being proactive about change.
How to Be Proactive about Change
If you are reading this, you are already off to a great start. There is a drastic difference between change happening to you and you being proactive about change. To be proactive about the change you have to mentally be in a positive space to recognize the signs that change is near and/or necessary.
If you are in a position at work that you know is not going well and you have received your 4th write-up, it is no secret that change is both near and necessary. Maybe you need to change positions. You may need to change companies. It could even be that you need to change your work ethic. Being proactive about change in this scenario would be to figure out the root cause of the issues you are having at work and then connect that problem to the type of change you feel is best.
In that same situation, if you were to let change happen to you, then you would ultimately get fired with no next steps in place. When you are proactive about the change you are at least aware of your very next step or confident that you have time to figure out your next step. When change happens to you, it may be so abrupt that you have no time to plan and that leaves you worried and frantic.
Being proactive about change will save you a greater level of heartache or struggle.
Knowing When to Make a Life Change
If you are currently wondering if you should make a life change, it is likely time to make a life change. There is probably a small voice in your head that has you questioning if it is time to make a change in your life. If you are curious about making a life change, you owe it to yourself to at least start the process of identifying if it is indeed time for a change.
The Best Time to Make A Life Change
When my husband and I were considering having our first child, I remember talking to my father about the best time to have kids. He assured me that there is no best time to have kids, but there may be a better time. This stuck with me because we often associate “best time” with easier. Believe me when I say, even though I do believe we had kids at a great time, there has been nothing easy about it.
This may be the case, no matter the type of change you are considering. So do your best to plan for a better time rather than stressing out and trying to wait for the perfectly best time.
How to Assess Your situation Before Big Life Change
Assessing your situation involves internal work and practical observation. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself to assess your situation before deciding to make a life change.
- Why am I questioning making a life change right now?
- What am I feeling in my current situation?
- What do I want to change about my current situation?
- Is making a life change going to bring about more negativity or positivity in my life?
- Am I in a space to commit to making this life change?
- What resources (people, time, money, etc) will I need to make a life change?
Your answers to these questions will start you on the right path to either make a life change or stay in your current situation. I will reiterate that we are talking about making proactive life changes. You will not regret taking the time to assess your situation before making a move.
When to Quit
When we talk about change, it typically means that we are quitting something and starting another thing. It is popular to hear people say “never quit”. Or maybe you grew up in a family that told you “(insert last name) never quit”. The truth is that sometimes we really will need to quit things. Of course, I cannot tell you the specific things you may need to quit in your life, but I can tell you some things to consider when you are thinking about quitting.
Try not to quit just because you are feeling angry, bitter, upset, etc. Those are some strong emotions and if you let them lead your actions, you will soon add regret to that pile of emotions. It is best to quit things after you have come to a positive resolution. Before deciding to quit something, ask yourself:
- Am I done being caught up in my feelings?
- Have I done a healthy assessment of the situation? (see above)
- Have I sought wise counsel (if needed)?
Answering these questions brings you to a more conscious state of mind where you can make a decision you won’t later regret.
The next time you have the urge to tell someone don’t quit, instead, be willing to have an open conversation with them about the thing they want to quit. This will be much more helpful to them than just demanding them not to quit.
How to Make Positive Changes in Your Life
It is a beautiful thing when quitting one thing and beginning another leads to positive changes in your life. Remember, we cannot be led by emotions. Emotions are too fleeting. We must be led by sound judgement, our personal convictions, our goals, and ultimately God.
As with anything, your input determines the output. If you are determined to bring positivity into your life, you must be tenacious about it. Make the effort to rid your life of toxic or negative people and things. Set your sights, goals, and mindset on things that are positive. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to think about positive things that are true, pure, lovely, etc. If you can shift your mindset to positive things, it won’t be long before you are making decisions that ultimately lead to positive changes in your life.
One thing to remember, even the most well-intentioned decisions and changes can come with challenges. Life will never be completely free of challenges. The good news is that, despite the challenges, when you are on an intentional path to making positive changes in your life, you start to see the challenges differently. Rather than get you off track, those challenges will help motivate you to achieve the change you are seeking.
Signs it is Time to Make a Life Change
Again, I cannot personally tell you it is time to change anything in your life. That decision is ultimately up to you. What I can tell you are some signs you should never ignore.
It may be time to make a life change if:
You no longer feel fulfilled in your current situation
Your current situation is having negative mental effects on you (Find a Therapist)
Your growth in the desired area has plateaued
You no longer feel valued in your current situation
You are tired of living the same life every single day (feeling stuck?)
God has spoken to you about making a change (never ignore this!)
You keep having dreams of yourself in a different situation
You are bored and want to take on a new challenge
You need a change of scenery in your life
Your current situation doesn’t align with your current goals
Your current situation is stunting your spiritual growth
You no longer feel safe in your current situation (Get Help Now)
You simply desire change in a specific area of your life
I added that last one in there because if we are talking about being proactive about change, it doesn’t always have to be prompted by some major sign. There will be times that we just simply desire change and that is ok too! Embrace that.
Happy changing!
Your Turn
I want to hear from you. Comment and tell me how you feel about change. Have you made a recent big life change? Are you considering making a change in your life? Let me know
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