How long does it take to achieve real change?
July 6, 2008
I’m about to take a short break away from my business - which I admit - that I’ve fallen BACK IN LOVE with only recently - since I’ve achieved a few significant changes.
SIX MONTHS TO LIVE OUT MAJOR DECISIONS
First of all - I have to say - it is my belief that it takes SIX MONTHS to live out a major decision. This is not scientific fact - this is just my opinion and my experience - particularly over the last 7 years of self employment. Whenever I mention this to other people of like circumstance - they agree their experience is the same.
These last six months ( in particular the last three) have been an intense time for planning for and implementing changes that have resulted in the complete reinvention my business and giving birth to the new version of Zulu Communications. On the other side - I can now see the benefits of all that agonising mental, emotional and physical hard labour!
REAL CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION TAKES TIME & PROCESS
If I can step back a bit further to say that the need for these changes were flagged and critical up to 15 months ago! So what the HELL happened 15 months ago to trigger this change and why has it taken so long for it all to come to fruition??
I could write a book about this - but I am a self confessed armchair Psychologist and by no means profess to have all the answers or the ability to help everyone. If by sharing my story with you helps you in anyway - then terrific!
At the heart of it - every change for a business HAS to be owned and committed to by the owner and decision maker of the business with respect to the process of change. You have to REALLY want it in order for it to become a reality and it’s hard work getting there.
Here are some thoughts:
- To change something signficant in your life and your business takes process and time
- You can speed up the time by working through the process more quickly - that requires focus and committment
- You can’t reduce the time by limiting or skipping the processes - without altering the outcome
- There is no telling how much time things can take to change - even if you want them to change
- You can set goals - backed up by realistic actions and steps as one way to ensure you receive a result - again this is focus and committment
15 months ago………………..
I did a Vision Planning program for businesses 3 years plus - it TURNED me on my head. I completely freaked out as I had to review and confront the aspects of my business that really needed to be vastly different. It was all TOO hard, my confidence was SHOT to pieces and my business started to suffer because of it.
I sought professional guidance - some mentoring and lots of coffee meetings with other business owners - who didn’t seem to be having as hard a time of this as me……… or were they?? (This was the birth of GET REAL!)
I was advised back then that I need to:
- Come to terms with my client based and aim for a completely different market
- Consider a change from the isolation of home-based business BACK to and office and business community environment ( home-based was too isolating for a people-person like me)
- Up the ante on my whole approach to web and on-line marketing as my presence was far from "best practice"
- Raise my profile and be BRILLIANT
WHAT DID I GO THROUGH?
First six months: April-September
- Vison planning crisis and freaking out
- Moved into an office community ( prompted by circumstance rather than actually seeking it - never the less………………)
- Re-evaluation of financial circumstances as a result of now having an office…….. and more freaking out
- Re-evaluation of client base - who do I HAVE - who do I WANT
Second six months: October-March
- Being overwhealmed by all the big changes I had made quickly and marinating on what still needed to happen and wondering HOW on earth to do this
- Actively networking, researching, educating myself and planning for making changes (working out roughtly what, how and when I needed to do things)
- Trying to stay positive, working and brilliant despite the realities of a SLOW first quarter
Last three months: April - June
- Complete redevelopment of my web and on-line marketing
- Working with my NEW clients and presenting and consulting to a new range of businesses
- Becoming a mentor to a new business owner
- Planning and implementing the change over of my business entity
- Revising my entire work practices
- Networking and making contacts
- Maintaining a full workload of work
- Relaunch of website, blog and new business on 1 July.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CHANGE - SUCCESS!
I’m a completely different person today in so many ways - and can appreciate the agonising and stress associated with realising these Real Changes which have already paid off for me and my business - in spades!
Finally - thanks needs to be given to all of those who help me through this process - from beginning to end. You know who you are - and I’ll never forget how you played a part in my transformation.
NOW - how can I help you through YOUR change process?
Comments
3 Responses to “How long does it take to achieve real change?”
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Congratulations Sue! Indeed an inspiring story! i think that many business owners have gone through difficult times but not many of them admit how to effect a change in their business involves confronting themselves and changing themselves as well as their practices, this is too scary for most. You not only did it, but you embraced it and you won and i hope you ride this wave of success with the knowledge that YOU DESERVE IT, pour a big bath of enlightment and have a splash around - the reward is all yours…….enjoy!
Well done Sue!
Good to see you back …. good see the enthusiasm that I know you have.
Catch you when you get back from OS….
Well done Sue. Doing the hard work is hard work & you’ve faced it fearlessly. Have a wonderful trip & we look forward to seeing the newly inspired Zulu when you return.