In my book, I really enjoyed sharing the metaphor about my “Woobie” growing up. He represents those things we know we need to change in order to improve, but how we tend to keep avoiding them and choosing to do things that are more comfortable. If we want to improve…something needs to change! I knew that if I was going to be sending this kind of message that I had to provide people with a formula to help them figure it out.
I created a simple four-step strategy, my “Forais” strategy, to help people embrace uncomfortable change and provide a new foundation for success. The idea is to work through these four pieces to eventually embrace change in an effort to create new habits that will support your goals and deliver results. The Four A’s are:
Awareness – This is really about self-awareness. It’s important to identify and learn more about why you do the things you do, why you say what you say, what you do well, and perhaps some of the things you don’t do well.
Acceptance – This is about learning how to accept yourself for who you are: the good, the bad, and the ugly. After these two A’s, most likely you have identified what your Woobie is all about, and now you can move on to A number three.
Action – We’ve Identified what we need to change so now it’s time to create a plan and put it into action. How do I create simple and meaningful goals to execute my first steps?
Accountability – We’ve identified what we need to change, and we’ve created a plan, now it’s about following that plan. It’s easy to get through step one, and step two, but can you get to step 10, 20, 100 over time by building habits? Habits are built over a 60-90 period, especially with support and accountability.
When we choose to view uncomfortable change as an opportunity, rather than adversity, we can develop tangible goals. Know where you are going and what you are setting out to accomplish. When you create a clear vision of personal change, the more motivated you will be.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Four A’s to a Simple Strategy, I have created a playlist on YouTube where I go into more detail about each “A”. Feel free to schedule a chat with me or pick up my book, “What’s YOUR Woobie? – Simple Strategies on Your Uncomfortable Path to New Opportunities”, where all of this information and more can be found.