Five Steps to Create Change

by Jo Dunning

With all of the amazing energy pouring into our planet right now, this is the time to make changes in your life. Use this magnificent opportunity to focus your mental Attention and the Intent of your Being to transform your life. Attention and Intention are a powerful force. Then just add a little action and the changes begin.

There are Five Steps To Change that can help make the process easier. The Five Steps can be used and adapted for almost anything you would like to change.

To easily understand The Five Steps, let’s use an example of applying each step to something you would like to change. As an example, perhaps your mail piles up and creates clutter. In this example, your Attention is on the mail clutter and you Intention is to change the habit or system that creates the unopened piles of mail. Once the habit or system is changed, you can easily clean up the old clutter with another 5-step process.

Five Steps to Create Change by Jo Dunning

Below are The Five Steps To Change using the mail clutter example:

Step 1. The first step is awareness of what you want to change.

Notice the clutter, where it is and how you would like it to be. Perhaps the mail piles up on the kitchen table and goes unanswered or is misplaced. The pile continues to grow until you finally clean it up or you decide to put it all in boxes to get it out of sight. And then the next pile of mail begins to accumulate again.

Step 2. The next step is to understand the current system you are using.

Notice what you currently do with the mail. You manage to bring it in and put it on the table. Good, that part is working. Then it just sits there unopened until it is essential to find a bill and pay it. The rest of the mail just continues to add to the stack of already opened mail.

Step 3. Then discover which part of your current system is not working toward what you want.

In this example, the clutter is created once you leave the mail unopened on the table.

Step 4. Create a new step for that part.

Now that you know where your old habit does not support your goal, you can decide on the best way to change that step. Maybe you will find that it helps to keep a wastebasket right near the table where you set down the mail. Then when you bring in the mail each day you can easily go through it and quickly throw away all the junk mail. Perhaps you might also decide to have a little box or holder right there for the mail that you need to handle, such as bills or correspondence. Other non-essential mail you want to look at more leisurely might go into another holder.

Great! Did you notice, with just these simple changes you have now already discarded the junk mail and sorted the rest of the mail for easier access. Congratulations!!! Well done!!

Step 5. Be Persistent.

Continue to practice your new habit each time you bring in the mail. The secret is that creating a new habit or system takes about 21 days. So be patient with yourself and persistent for about 3 weeks. Very soon your new habit will become natural and you will easily handle the situation in a smooth and comfortable manner.

As part of your new habit you will also need to Create a regular time when you take care of the mail you have put in the different boxes. You can create another 5-step process for it. Perhaps your plan is to go through the little holders of sorted mail on every Saturday morning. Maybe you will find it is helpful to immediately put the catalogs and magazines someplace where you will see them and enjoy them during the week. Or you might decide that your best plan is to spend 10 minutes every day after dinner taking care of a few of the items. The more often the better! Once you choose when to take care of it, stick to the plan. Whatever it is, find a system that works for you and stick to it.

Now you are off to a great start and making a wonderful change in your life.

If you find you get stuck at one of the steps you have created, then maybe that step is a little too big for you. You can easily make it into smaller steps by using the 5-step process and make it more manageable.

You can use these 5 simple steps to address many items you would like to change. These 5 steps can be used effectively to improve organization, time management, change eating habits, create a new response to upsets, manage finances and many other aspects of our busy daily lives.

Remember, consistent little steps create great change.