The Winds of Change
Change is constant, as the old adage says.
In all honesty, I am someone who likes to think they embrace change but it’s taken me some time to actually figure out what it means to me and how to make best use of it.
Change, whether it is big societal complex stuff or simpler day to day changes to your routine bring an opportunity for learning.
They force us to question our decision making approach, address our assumptions and ultimately grow to accept what that change may be.
Some of us are so skilled at change, it is as easy as pie. Others (like me) have had to spend a lot more time learning how to manage and be grounded. I think a lot of us also forget we always have agency in change, and chaos allows us the illusion of control. What we primarily have agency over as individuals is our mindset and our ability to investigate our assumptions.
To help me (and hopefully you) I have come up with a simple framework for leading change, being open to the possibilities ahead and having peace of mind as you anticipate what might come next.
Winds of Change
As a road cyclist, I had to learn about strategically using head winds and tail winds to efficiently make use of the energy I put out to bike a long distance.
The winds of change are constant - tail winds push you forward and head winds create more resistance to moving forward. These winds are neither or good nor bad and represent a metaphor for how we might look at bringing in new things to our lives.
Head winds are things that signal you might want to slow things down. This could be good or bad. Perhaps the partner you want to work with is not ready to take on a new project, or the funding you want is not there yet.
This is all about tuning into what is getting in the way of what you assume to be true of the future. Sometimes head winds can slow you down, but they can also redirect you to new ways of achieving your goal that you didn’t know about. I personally find understanding the head winds, or obstacles are helpful in identifying what I can achieve and motivate me to continue in the long-run. It meant I had to get really good at my core skills, my foundations were built stronger and my objective was that much sharper.
Tail winds help us overcome the big obstacles - big steep heels are made easier but this push in the right direction. This could manifest in your work or life as a supportive friend, the small wins along the way or clear permission to do what you set out to do.
Sometimes the tail winds can be a little wild - pushing you forward before you are ready. This is exciting but really hard to manage in the moment and can start to make things feel out of control. That said, they help focus of what you want to achieve. Perhaps you can do less but achieve the same goal and continue the momentum, or add more to your plate and bring more people along with you.
Final thought
At the end of the day, we all have the capacity to benefit from whats creating resistance in our lives or pushing us forward. It’s just the way we choose to place it in our stories and find ways to help us make the most of the moment.
When we think of public policy, organizational change or social justice right now I think we can call on these winds to help guide us towards what to focus on making an impact on right now.
Good luck out there!