Creating Change Without Burning Out

It’s cliché to be sure, but I just can’t resist writing about creating change at the beginning of a new year.

There is so much possibility and potential. There is a buzz, an energy that can usher in a wave of focus and motivation. It can be exciting to kick start new goals and make this “your best year yet”.

While this energy can absolutely be harnessed to create lasting change – it can also land you on the couch with a box of cookies and a defeated spirit by February.

What You Can’t See

It’s so easy to get pumped about the New Year that you sprint right out of the gate – forgetting that you are already running a marathon.

Already is the keyword here.

The New Year isn’t when the marathon begins. It’s been happening right along. Change doesn’t wait for the turning of the calendar. You’re already in it.

You can’t not be in the process of change just like a tree can’t not be in a state of growth. It’s just how things work.

Now whether or not you’ve noticed this change is a whole other story. True, transformative change often happens so seamlessly it barely hits your radar.

It’s incredibly easy to focus on what you think needs to change that you miss the changes that are already taking place within and around you all the time.

If you don’t realize – or see – how change is already transpiring, it makes a ton of sense to put a lot of pressure on the New Year. To make it your turning point. A defining moment. It’s so much pressure that your good intentions, goals, and resolutions can inadvertently be crushed under the weight of it all.

This is why so often by February or March the sprinting has become a slow crawl or stopped altogether. Burnout is real when it comes to creating change in the ways we have been taught. This is a direct result of not seeing the whole picture of how things work.

A New Way to Look

When you can see that you are already in the midst of change – that it is a natural part of the process of life – it makes it easier to harness the energy of the New Year more productively and without burning out.

You can leverage the sense of renewal and motivation by becoming more aware of the change that has already taken place. You can rest in appreciation that you are already on the path.

You can look even deeper and see that a New Year doesn’t happen once a year but is happening each and every moment. A new year begins every moment.

That same potential for new goals and insights, new motivation, and excitement is available at all times.

It isn’t necessary for a whole new year to begin in order to create change. It’s already here. It is right now.

Right now is the only place that change has ever been and will ever be created.

What is truly amazing is once you start to see how it is already working – there is so much less for you do to create the changes you desire. There is no more pressure to make it all happen each January. There is no resulting burnout.

The deeper understanding that change is inevitable and continuous brings forth our innate capacity to leverage this power day-by-day and moment-by-moment – regardless of the date on the calendar.

Going Deeper

If you want to see how change is happening in your life more clearly – and leverage this capacity for yourself more deeply – I highly recommend you check out my group and private coaching offerings or get started with these free resources.