Every few months I get my hair cut. Not a big deal, really. But, every 6th or 7th cut usually means it’s time.
I like to go to the salon early. I relax with a cup of tea, feel the soft beat of the new-age music piping through the speakers, and mindlessly flip through last month’s tabloids and beauty magazines. Not to mention, I shell out a healthy amount for a hair cut a few times a year — it’s about the only splurge I allow myself, so I want to get my money’s worth.
Every few years, I’ll be wading through the usual stack of hair magazines on the table and I’ll unexpectedly run across a picture that will have me wondering if I could pull off a particular look. I show the picture to my trusted stylist and, next thing I know, the long, thick hair I’ve been sporting is a distant memory and I waltz out of the salon with a sassy new bob.
While I’m usually happy with the new ‘do, it’s inevitable that I’ll spend the next few years saying “Just a trim, please. I’m trying to grow it out.”
I guess my point is – you never quite know when the itch for change will strike.
I’m no stranger to change, and I am generally not thrown off by it. In fact, given my short and irritating-even-to-me attention span, I need change to keep the juices flowing. But, don’t let that fool you. With the exception of the occasional impulsive hair cut, I generally spend an inordinate amount of time planning, gauging, preparing, deliberating and thinking before making the leap. But, inevitably, I DO make the leap.
Thanks to my parents, their parents, and their parents before them, this particular corner of my personality is bit of a paradox. Not only am I a staunch creature of habit, but I’ve also inherited equal parts impatience, restlessness, curiosity, caution and a need for security. My good friend Sarah said it best. “You’re like a gypsie who craves an organized office.”
I’ve met quite a few people who are deathly afraid of change. They are afraid of the unknown, of what might happen if they stray from their norm, or what they might miss out on if they change direction and head this way or that instead.
But, what I’ve learned about change is this. If an opportunity for change presents itself, it’s for a reason. You just have to be open to seeing it. Sometimes it’s admittedly hidden behind cloaks of insecurity or the irritating little voice that says “You can’t do THAT! It’ll take way too much energy to be worth it.”
Well, believe it or not, change is happening all around us. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day something inside us and around is changing. It can be as little as an inexplicable need to switch up your morning routine to a niggling little feeling that has you questioning if your job is truly the right one for you. For us small-business owners, it’s knowing that if you don’t take the next step forward, your competition will be a leg up.
When an opportunity for the new and different rears its head, pay attention to what you do with it. You can ignore it, go with it, fight it or embrace it. The choice is completely yours. Just don’t be afraid to choose because, whether you like it or not, change will come.
Filed under: Lessons from the virtual playground, Life as a small business owner | Leave a Comment »
My VA colleague, 
