Change. That’s what’s on my mind. This week I have been really inspired by stories of change all around me. People always presume that my job is kind of a drag. They think that all I hear about is stuff that would ordinarily bum anybody out. Honestly, it’s truly the opposite on most days. What’s really going on all day is people showing up in my office with a lot of will to have things go better in their lives. There are certainly ups and downs and rough situations that people have encountered. However, the majority of people stick with coming to see me and they succeed with their goals. That’s incredibly uplifting. My job is pretty awesome.

In a recent post, I talked about how people have to decide to make changes. Then, with intention and attention, changes can be made. But how do people decide to make a change? What does that take exactly? What I’m thinking is that people need to be aware that there is a potential and opportunity for change. They need to see it as an option.

That’s where my job comes in. I help direct people to think about their options and the potential actions they can take. It seems simplistic when I write it like that, but it can be a profound process. I think about how I decided to start a private practice. A colleague and friend said that she thought that I was someone who could very well start a private practice. She brought that possibility to my awareness. I decided to do it and (luckily) she was right! So here I am.

It looks like identifying the possibilities available to you at any given time and being open to choosing something different might be a key catalyst to starting a change process. You can set yourself up for change by trying to cultivate a habit of thinking about all the options before you rule any out. You can also surround yourself with creative, inspiring people who can help you identify possibilities that remain hidden from your view.

I’m going to try to be more open to suggestions and to new ways of doing things. Those seem like sensible measures to take against ruts and monotony that tend to put a lid on healthy change. What supports your healthy change process?