Last week was invigorating for me in many ways, including being stretched and applying my own managing change techniques. I had a non-stop week of travel and speaking since it was Administrative Professionals Week.

The first presentation I gave was a webcast on Riding the Wave of Change. The client and I had decided on this topic months ago. (Little did I know at the time we selected the topic, that I would need to adhere to my own advice tenfold.) This is a topic I have presented numerous times over 20 years of speaking.

However, last week as I was presenting. . . it was staring me right in the face - managing my own insecurities and adapting to change. We had just moved our offices on April 18. It was so exciting . . . the first 4 days. But then, I felt a big slump! I was down. I was in a low mood. What happened? Why did I feel so down when I just had one of the most exciting office moves of owning my business?

I was dealing with a feeling I had not had in a long while and I was asking myself questions like, "Why?" or "What do I do now? I'm supposed to motivate other people, and I am completely unmotivated?" I was thinking about how strange I felt. Questioning myself over and over why I had this feeling that I did not like.

Then, as I was giving my speech on change, I found myself answering my own questions. Even when we are going through changes we want, we still have to go through that "limbo" state, as I call it: we don't want to be in the old place and we are not really familiar or comfortable with our new place; so we are just "hanging out."

I also refer to it as stretching. As we move through change, we are stretching. We are leaving our comfort zones; maybe we are learning something new, adjusting our processes or steps; rethinking how we approach something; and even taxing our brains which then distracts us from our natural flow. I like being in my flow. Flow is when you are gliding along at work, being creative, getting things done, displaying off-the-charts energy, and connecting with everyone.

Maybe you are facing some changes right now in your personal life or your professional life. Change can be scary, it can be intimidating and it can also cause us to grow in ways we just can't see at this time.

Feel free to coast as you ride the wave of change. When you see the big wave coming, take a deep breath and hang on tight. Be confident in your abilities and reach out to your peers for support.

I hope this first week of May brings sunshine your way and that you will be reminded, just like spring when everything blossoms, that we can blossom through change.

Take care!

Joan