Have you noticed how many of our conversations these days are centered on change? My clients talk about making organizational changes in their lives to feel less stressed, cluttered, and overwhelmed. Friends and family talk about making personal and professional changes to discover new places, learn new things, or embrace a significant life transition. Even in yoga class, teachers and students have change-like thoughts on their minds.

Change is one of the topics I love writing and conversing about most. What I also have noticed is that while we might want change to happen, we are often less clear about how to begin. Also, we might wish to change, but we aren’t necessarily ready or willing to do what’s needed for that change to occur. So with these thoughts in mind, I propose three ideas to help you while you’re navigating that unclear phase. They revolve around the word wander.

3 New Ideas to Inspire Change

“Wander” mug

This time of year with colder, winter days, I’m a huge hot tea drinker. Even as I write this post, I’m in good company with my big cup of tea. There are several mugs that I prefer.  One of my favorites has the word “Wander” on the front. As I sip my tea, I’m reminded that while plans and direction are an essential part of my life, I also need time to wander and explore. While the opportunity for discovery is available at any moment, it’s primarily in these open, white-space times that I can be relaxed enough to be mindful of and notice what I might otherwise miss. So if you are not sure what change you want to make, give yourself some wander time and see what transpires from there.

“Not all who wander are lost.”

On one of my suitcases, I have a luggage tag with this phrase. When I travel, I like to know the details and timing for things. At least, I prefer to know the basics like the dates of travel, flight times, ground transportation arrangements, sleeping accommodations, and the basic structure for the time away. However, I don’t like to over plan. Trips can vary in nature if they are for business or leisure. And even though those types of travel have a different feel to them, I like to keep the “wander” concept in mind. Particularly when I travel, my antenna is sharper than usual. Being out of my typical environment, I’m more apt to notice new patterns, connect ideas, and open my thoughts to other possibilities. Consider how this phrase of “Not all who wander are lost,” can encourage you to infuse the unknown and exploration into your days at home or while traveling. Change ideas and clarity can be inspired from the most unexpected places.

“Lost, but making good time.”

One of the things my husband and I like to joke about is the phrase, “Lost, but making good time.” It comes up in many ways. For example, when we are driving somewhere new and get lost (yes, that still happens even when using Google maps,) one of us will say, “Lost, but making good time.” Instead of feeling irritated that we’re lost, saying these words makes us laugh. It takes away the stress and angst. When we first moved to the Hudson Valley, we frequently drove around to wander the area. We’d try getting lost on purpose. Again, one of us would say the phrase. We joyfully leaned into the idea of intentionally being lost. That’s what I offer to you. The change we seek isn’t always visible. We can’t force clarity. If you embrace the “lost” time, at some point, you will find your way to where you want to go. And sometimes we have to take the time to remain lost a little while longer before we can arrive.

What has inspired change for you? Do any of these ideas resonate? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to add a comment and join the conversation!