Fear Free Change

Change is scary, hard and annoying. Why can’t things just stay the way they are? If you’ve ever thought that about change, I think I can help you like it a little better. When we give into the fear of something new, we miss out. We miss opportunities, friendships, better health, and happier lives.

Resisting change rarely works and accepting change sounds like giving up or giving in. What if there was a fear free way to embrace change? Embracing change is way more powerful than resisting or accepting. Even better, what if you could learn to instigate change?

Fear free ways to instigate and embrace change for health and peace of mind

Food

If you know you need a change in your diet but hate to walk away from potato chips and cupcakes, don’t make it such a big deal. When we abandon our comfort foods for 21 days or “go on a diet”, they just seem more appealing. Instead, try these 3 fear free steps.

• Commit for a day. Remove the really nasty foods from your diet for one day. Living without comfort food for life sounds scary, but for one day?
• Figure out your why? It’s clear that eating better takes more than a desire to lose weight. Read the The China Study, and Crazy Sexy Diet or watch Forks Over Knives. Learn how food affects your body and long-term health. Sugar becomes much less appealing when you learn it actually feeds cancer cells. Your why might be heart health, glowing skin, fewer wrinkles or to avoid spending all of your money on prescription drugs. Think about your why with every food choice you make.
• Walk away. There are times when I am sure that I hear my name coming from a dessert menu. There is a crème brûlée calling me. I can answer (and my answer will be yes), or I can walk away. When your food cravings are calling you, take a walk. 5 minutes is long enough to kill the craving, but if you are enjoying the fresh air, keep walking.

Stuff

Letting go is scary stuff unless you approach it the right way. The 100 thing challenge may never be for you, but you can learn to turn your focus away from stuff and shopping and towards the really good stuff in life.

• Slow Down. You didn’t collect your stuff overnight, so why the rush to get it out of your life. So what if other people did it that way. Do it your way. Work on one small area in your home each day.
• Out of Sight. If you want to declutter, downsize and live with less, you can test it out before committing. Instead of running truckloads of crap to your local donation center, box it up. Put the things you don’t think you need anymore in boxes and put the boxes out of sight for 30-60 days. Once you are used to living without it, decide if life is better or if you’d rather haul it all back in. Make an informed decision instead of a hasty move that you might regret.
• Like Minds. Surround yourself with others that want to make a change. If you want to start with your closet, join the Project 333 quick start program beginning Monday, June 18th. You can compare notes with other people who want to live with less and be motivated to take action. There is nothing extreme or scary about this program. Consider it a gentle guide to kill closet chaos. Simplicity started in my closet and continues to improve every area of my life.

Once you begin to live a healthier life with a focus on people over stuff and time over money, you will welcome change. The more you practice change, the easier it gets. Change will happen. Be ready with a big embrace.

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