What a clever hairdresser can teach you about change.

A few weeks ago I went to the hairdressers, I was pretty unsure of what I wanted, (not such a good thing when you are in someone else’s hands!) And so when my hairdresser suggested a different style, I readily agreed, after all, I’m ok with change… or so I thought! No, he did not colour my hair bright pink or anything like it, what he did do, in his usual clever way was subtly add a different colour and cut my hair in a different way.

I loved the look, however what really surprised me for ages afterward was how I could not get used to having my hair parted on the opposite side! I automatically felt compelled to comb it the other way, the way it had been for years. Small but significant change causes discomfort.

It is like trying to fold your arms a different way, It just FEELS funny and awkward!

It is the similar kind of feeling when you have to do something different at work or in your career. It is much easier to do things the same old way. It is comfortable and often you do the task unconsciously. You don’t have to use lots of energy thinking about it, you just do it! It has become a habit.
Change means doing something that is unfamiliar. It is sometimes much harder, you have to consciously learn the steps that must be done, rather than just doing it habitually.

The advantage of consciously choosing change is that you free yourself from limits, and open up all sorts of possibilities that you probably did not even realise were available to you.

This concept can be even more interesting when you apply it to your thinking.

We tend to think in patterned ways. This is often unconscious, it uses less energy, and therefore easier.
Ask yourself: ‘what are some different ways to think about this situation ', or  'how can I change the way I think about this', Asking these sorts of questions will  give you more options?
The key is to consciously choose to think about something in a different way, to get a different (hopefully better) result.
Embracing the lessons that change brings can lead you to more flexibility in your thinking and help you to live your life with fewer limits.
Going back to my new hairstyle, I have got used to it, and as a bonus, I have had so many comments about looking years younger!I like that!


Julie Rowlands is a certified coach who works with professional women to help create maximum sustainable energy and minimum stress.

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