The Change Seeker exercise

Make a personal transition with more curiosity and less fear

Author

Nicole Norton
May 23, 2023

I personally get a kick out of change; I dig it. This disposition has some benefits as well as some drawbacks. Some of the benefits include: I’m not wedded to ideas, I am frequently able to see the positives of change and progress almost immediately, I use every opportunity to be curious, learn, iterate and improve a situation and I don’t care too much about what people think about me (although I do care a heck of a lot about how other people feel… so rationalize that with my therapist if you can).

The drawbacks include: I tend to change things at the last minute, I don’t think many things are ever finished and I’m not everyone’s favorite person.

So why should you care? Mainly, because this approach to change can help you learn from my many mistakes as well as give you the insights I have gathered from the times I have tested this Change Seeker exercise.

Here are a some reasons why and when this exercise is helpful:

  • When you are transitioning to something new (and who isn’t right now), it’s helpful to have a ritual to keep you in a healthy headspace

  • If you are anxious about the future (and who isn’t right now), it helps to write out these fears to put them in perspective

  • Organizing your thoughts is like organizing your closet — hello Marie Kondo — helping to make it easier to access healthy reactions and proactions (yes, this is a word now) when they are needed quickly

  • Having a plan in place to help guide you though a transition can be like having an operation manual for life with an appendix for “troubleshooting”

  • In times of change, it helps to acknowledge both our strengths and weaknesses because we’re all human (thankfully!) and sometimes being reminded of that is enough to help push us through

If any of these reasons resonate with you, take this exercise for a spin. If now is not the time for you, tuck this away for a time that you could use it.

My living room after a Change Seeker session IRL

Whether you jump over to the exercise or save it for later, I also wanted to share some of the influences for the exercise. If you are reading or following them, I highly recommend:

Stay remarkably curious!