Homeostasis is the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes. (Oxford Dictionary).
When it comes to functioning in our bodies, it often serves us well - too hot and our bodies produce sweat to cool off; cut your finger and your body rushes in to stop the bleeding and start the healing. However, sometimes it works against our wishes as well: when, for instance, we start a new diet and the scale stubbornly refuses to budge, no matter how many cookies we don’t eat or how many planks we do (believe me, I have tested this theory!).
The desire to keep things relatively in equilibrium also extends to the way we live - big changes are hard and often the best-laid goals and plans are quickly forgotten (how are those New Year's resolutions doing?). Last September, I published an article about taking a Leap of Faith. While that article was focused on rethinking the ways we work, I went back to it for some inspiration for today’s message.
I am about to step out into the unknown and leave a job I love (looking at you, Turnitin) in order to fully launch my coaching and consulting business. This was not a decision I have taken lightly and it has taken a lot of work, with a dash of bravery to get here. All change is hard. At times we are forced into a transition because we lose a job (been there), a loved one (yep, there too), or something shifts in our world that we weren’t expecting (hello, global pandemic) and we are literally forced into a new reality.
Other times there is a desire for something different, a nudge or a whisper inside of us to stretch beyond what is known and comfortable, or a dream of a different way of being. With this kind of transformation, there is no burning platform other than our own desires.
Both kinds of change are hard because homeostasis is comfortable - keeping things relatively the same is the natural state. So, what to do? How can it be easier? In our most recent podcast, Sherry Essig and I talk about just that. It’s a bit like building a new muscle - if you haven’t been practicing, there is no way you will deadlift a huge amount...but with some practice, and building up your muscles, you can gradually increase your capacity for heavier weights. Same with your capacity for change. By starting small, and regularly exercising your capacity for change, you can increase your tolerance for it and be ready for both those changes that are thrust upon us and the ones we choose to make.
So, how did I get to this point of being ready for a change? Truly one small step at a time. I started having conversations with my current team and those I have worked with in the past. I talked to other coaches and consultants and heard about their experiences. I took a storytelling class with the great Cara Jones, and other awesome programs with the Enneagram Prison Project and CP Enneagram. Melodee Solomon took some amazing pictures, and helped me ground through breathwork while Alex Dolven and Andrea Enright are trying to get my website in shape.
Slowly I started stepping away from the day-to-day responsibilities of work and relied on the fantastic People Leadership Team (Clare, Bridgette, Ann Marie, Amber) at Turnitin to step into larger leadership roles as I started to step back. I was practicing what it would be like to no longer be in this job.
And so, here we are. I have about a week and a half left. The truly awesome Marissa Farrar is already on board. My website is still a work in progress; I’m not totally sure where my next paycheck is coming from and I am leaving a really great company. Scary as hell, but also super exciting. I have been building up my change muscle in order to get just a bit more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Take a listen to our latest podcast to hear more (through this Spotify link, or wherever you get your podcasts) and please share your own stories about change.
Stay tuned for the next chapter - it’s not written yet, but I’m sharpening my pencil :-)
