Are you really open to change?

Are you really open to change? I'm not referring to a different cereal for breakfast, though for some people that really is a huge change. Don't get between me and my Honey Bunches of Oats.

I'm thinking bigger. Bolder. What if tomorrow your job just suddenly vanished? Would you be able to cope, to regroup to come up with a strategy to redefine your career?

Be open to change. When it comes time to following your passion, change is inevitable. Whether that's changing your job, where you live, or even just changing your mindset, change is a part of it. Embrace it.

Think of the most drastic change you can reasonably see yourself adapting to. Then think of what would actually be needed to make your dreams reality. Is there a gap? Is there something in between those two things that's holding you back? 

I often look at my life and think this very question. If tomorrow I wanted to do make a big change, what's holding me back? Am I ok with that? 

That's how I know if I'm really ready to follow my passion, or I just think it would be a good idea. And if the choices I'm making are making that gap bigger or smaller.

If there's something holding you back, there are two ways I look to solve this dilemma.

One is to be more open to change. That's the straightforward way, and may involve pushing past your limits, but it's also the most difficult.

Say your goal is to be able to travel more, but you're very comfortable in your own personal luxury that you've created. The obvious solution some will give is that you need to be ok with living without A/C and a constant broadband internet connection. True, but that's not an easy thing to just change about yourself. And you'll constantly be working to change yourself to fit your passion instead of actually following your passions.

The other method, the one I think is more realistic, is to look at what you're thinking of and change the way you approach it.

Why do you want to travel? Is it possible to find ways to make travel more approachable? Do you have to go into the middle of nowhere to experience "the world"? Can you save up a little money to stay in some of the nicer areas with better amenities for some of your trips?

There are plenty of conversations going on about quitting jobs and following passions. I think there's some great stuff out there about this, and I support this step, within reason. That's going to be a huge change, and the people who are going to be successful and not feel like they made a huge mistake are those who are best able to adapt.

Or maybe you can try and think of ways to make it not so big a change. Maybe a different approach is enough to close that gap between what you're comfortable with and what will be needed of you.

Are you open to change, or is it something that holds you back?

- Ryan