The moon goes through eight lunar phases a month, seasons change four times a year, and you transform from an awkward teenager in high school to a complete bombshell now.
Nature thrives on change, and as humans, we’re part of that process too. But, then, why do we fear it so much?
Most of us are living in a bubble called the comfort zone. We’d rather sit through the same traffic every day for 20 years than take the plunge and move to our dream city or pursue our business goals.
However, change is necessary to grow. When you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, you’re forced to adapt. Adaptation makes you realize how resilient you are and that you’re growing into the person you were always meant to be.
But hey, I get it — that’s easier said than done. I wasn’t nearly as comfortable with change in the past. I would sleep for four hours during the day to forget what was going on around me, pop anxiety pills, and cry my heart out to old Bollywood movies.
However, the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve come to embrace change, see it as a blessing in disguise, and go with the flow.
Table of Contents
Why Change is Good for You
1. Change Makes You Stronger
Three years ago, I lived in a bubble. I had grown up in almost perfect circumstances with two loving parents, barely any financial issues, and a romantic idea of what my life would be. I was 22, just graduated from university, and thought it was my birthright to be protected from bad things.
But my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and my safety bubble popped.
I was devastated. Everything I thought I knew about the world had been ripped from under me.
I hated every moment of that life-altering change, but it made me a powerhouse. I no longer complain and cry over silly things; I see the world as it is rather than what I think it is, and I can handle anything life throws at me now.
Life can make you soft and ungrateful. Sometimes, you need a curveball thrown at you to shake things up and remind you of your own strength.
2. Change Gives You the Life You’ve Been Dreaming Of
Those who stay in their comfort zone and allow uncertainty to scare them away are the ones who end up stuck in a rut. They never find the success they dreamed of, live an unfulfilled life, and blame everyone else for their failures.
Change is inevitable on the path to achieving your dreams. You have to change your mindset and routines, go with the flow of life, adapt to rising tides, and do this all scared.
3. Being Adaptable Makes You More Attractive
Yes, I really said that.
Would you ever date somebody who was set in their ways and not ready to compromise and learn new things? You wouldn’t.
Likewise, even job descriptions have the words “must be adaptable to change.” Potential employers want somebody who can keep their cool in a stressful, ever-changing environment.
4. You’ll Appreciate the Small Things in Life
Have you ever been without electricity for 72 hours? I have, and it feels as bad as it sounds. Now, when I have electricity, I appreciate my microwave and fully charged phone.
If things never changed, we would take a lot for granted.
Related Post: 25 Things to Be Grateful for In Your Life Instead of Complaining
5. You’ll Be More Open to Learning New Things
One thing narrow-minded people have in common is their hatred for change. These people prefer their mundane routines, like eating chocolate ice cream for the rest of their lives, instead of trying anything new.
When you embrace change, you become more open-minded and have a thirst for experiencing different things.
I hated my job in insolvency, yet I stayed because I believed I couldn’t do anything better. I became complacent and comfortable in that boring role. Nothing changed in that one year of my life. Every day was the same, and I felt the same every day — shitty, bored, and depressed.
And one fine day, on my first work anniversary, something changed. My bosses treated me horribly (more than usual), I couldn’t bear the idea of doing that mind-numbing work anymore, and I read the most inspiring email from one of my favorite online creators, Tim Denning.
That’s when I snapped out of my funk and learned more about blogging and the online creator world.
Change helps you learn again. And we all need to learn again and start from zero if we want our lives to change for the better.
6. Change Gives You Hope That Bad Times Won’t Last Forever
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through the ever-changing years of my life, it’s that the bad moments don’t last, and neither do the good.
This should give you solace if you’re in a bad space right now. Good times will eventually come around. And if you’re in a good place, remember to enjoy every moment.
Related Post: The Best Is Yet to Come Quotes (42 Wise Quotes)
16 Changes You Can Make for The Better
Here are 16 changes you can make to enhance your personal growth. Of course, they’re not supposed to be easy, and you’re not expected to do all 16 at once. Choose one or two small changes to focus on for this year.
- Do the things you’ve been putting off for a while: Send an application for your dream job, start the blog you’ve always wanted to, go skydiving, learn cooking, or volunteer abroad. As nerve-wracking as these things are, they’ll improve your life.
- Quit the job you hate: We often think staying in a job we hate is a good idea until something better comes along. But years can go by, and you’re still stuck there. If the job is really taking a toll on your mental health, leave. This opens your way to finding something new and exciting.
- Be a better friend to your close circle: People always give what they get back. If you’re a good friend, your friends will return the favor.
- Forget society’s approval and expectations: Do what you want because life is too short to dance to the beat of someone else’s heart.
- Exercise more: You’ll never regret taking care of your body.
- Start journaling: Journaling has been the best habit I introduced to my life. It encourages documentation and self-reflection and calms me because I have an outlet for my thoughts.
- Practice meditation: Start with basic meditations in one or five-minute increments. It’s just as helpful as a 30-minute session and will help you build the habit quickly.
- Let go of anger and toxicity: Make the change to let go of anger and negative thinking to make way for fulfillment and contentment.
- Finish all unfinished projects: I have a bad habit of leaving my tasks unfinished to start something new. It’s called shiny object syndrome and is why most people are buried under a never-ending to-do list.
- Stop people-pleasing and prioritize yourself: Your opinion is the only one that matters.
- Do a social media detox or quit it altogether: Reducing your social media intake is a huge change, and it’s something many millennials and Gen Zers are trying to do. It contributes to low self-esteem and fatigue and, quite frankly, is a huge waste of time. Check out this post on 13 reasons to quit social media.
- Consume information that’s good for your mind: What you consume will inevitably consume you, so make sure it’s the good stuff. Make it a habit to read and watch inspiring documentaries and YouTube videos instead of the entertainment hogwash we’re subject to.
- Practice gratitude: We forget to appreciate our lives just as they are because we’re so engrossed in comparing it to somebody else’s. Instead, become more present and count your blessings. You can do this in a gratitude journal.
- Stop worrying so much about the future: I get it; it’s only human instinct to plan and overthink about the future. But we can’t control it no matter how much we think we can. Instead, make a conscious effort to live in the moment and do your best today!
- Study again: Go back to college or do more online courses in a subject you’re interested in. This could mean better career opportunities in the future or a completely different career path. My best friend took an English teaching course and ended up switching her career from pharmacy to teaching English in South Korea!
- Become more spiritual: I’ve been spiritually out of touch over the last few years. I put most of my focus on improving my mental and financial health. Therefore, one of the changes I’m implementing this year is getting closer to God.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post did a good job of explaining why change is necessary for growth.
You will survive whatever transformation you’re going through now. Remember that hard times don’t last, just as the good times don’t.
Change is a natural process, and it’s useless fighting it. It’ll only make you stronger, wiser, and bolder.