I believe all change is mandated by God in some way, directly like me or indirectly. Indirect changes come when you have spent enough time with yourself that you realize you are not headed where you want to be. At this point, it is not about pleasing anyone. You could be sick and tired of being sick and tired. There could have been a major event in your life that forced you to make some hard decisions. Life could have thrown you a curve ball when you least expected it. Whatever your motivation, now, it is about having a sense of peace about who you are and where you are going. Here are a couple of points I would like for you to consider.

1.  The easiest way is to know the change is necessary is because it is God’s instruction.

You don’t have to second guess, even though last year you were sure God gave you instruction as well. I have learned that you should err on the side of obedience. If it was not God, because He knows your heart, He covers you. If it was God and now He is requiring more or different, He covers you. Obedience is better than sacrifice.   

2.  Do a reality check.

This can be the obvious thing to do. However, it can also be the most difficult. Even when God is mandating it, it is hard to tell yourself, you are not “all that and a bag of chips”. This does not have to be a negative assessment; it just needs to be an honest assessment. Let the chips fall where they may. You don’t want this to cause you to freeze and go into analysis paralysis. A personal assessment can be daunting and change can be frightening, especially if you are stuck in a rut of lifelong habits and choices. Look at where you are spending your time, your talent, and your money. Then look at the return on your investment. Are you getting back what you are putting in? Are you putting in enough? Do you need to change? Here are some areas you can assess:

• Where are You Spiritually.
  It doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are. For me I seek alignment with the Lord  Almighty. When I feel centered spiritually, I feel better about everything else in my life.
  
  
• Where are You Mentally.
  What does your thinking and self-talk sound like? We can be our own worst enemy when we get down on ourselves. We can spend too much time comparing ourselves to what we are not. There is nothing wrong with wanting to succeed, having expectations and goals. Make sure you have a plan and are doing something to reach them. If not, you can spend a lot of time being disappointed. This relates to education, daily reading, prayer/meditation practice, clarity of thinking, presence, confidence, and overall mental fitness. One thing to keep in mind is when God changes your direction, all that you have done goes with you. There is no loss or lack in God.
  
  
• How is Your Physical Wellbeing.
  Don’t take fitness for granted. This is a huge issue for me. I know that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I have to take care of it. I can do nothing from the grave. This is about feeding the best foods into my body, drinking enough water, sleeping well, keeping stress low and energy consistently stable and high.
  
  
• How are your interactions with your family.
  We often think about what we give and what we should get in return. Our family members give what they can. It may not be what we want, and we may feel mistreated, mishandled, misunderstood, etc. Please measure this category with extreme reverence. Your return is your family members knowing they can count on you, them knowing you love them unconditionally. Talk about spiritual growth potential!
  
  
• Are you creating anything, any artistic expression.
  All humans have innate, artistic ability to think and create pretty much anything we want. The key to this lies in our ability to believe it! Part of my motto for my business development company is “every person has something within them that will make this world a better place”. Find what is in you and allow it to shine. Spend your time developing it, getting out of your own way and change the world.
  
  
• Are You Social.
  This includes friends, social reach and access. I keep this independent of family. How can two walk together except they be agreed. Who we hang around and who is willing to hang around us affects everything about us! Choose your friends wisely. This measure is important because if you are a leader, you will see tons of happy people following you. If you think you’re an outstanding leader and you don’t have anyone following you, think again.
  
  
• Are You Financially Stable.
  Cash flow is important. Money is not the measure of your worth. When you are running your financial life, personal and business, the difference between what you make and what you spend should be in the black. You should not be out of money before you pay all the expenses for the month. If you manage making money well and keeping expenses low, you create financial stability. If you do it long enough and consistently enough, you net worth from a financial perspective will increase.
  
  
• Do You Know Your How Wealthy You Are.
  It is important to distinguish between finances and wealth. If we truly have joy in every aspect of our lives, we are productive, and most of us will accumulate wealth. Joy, not happiness. Happiness is based on what is happening in the moment. We want joy that does not come and go, but is sustained and sustaining. There are many things that make up wealth. For me, is not what I am on a finance statement. It is how I feel about myself and others. It is a measure of how I manage every aspect of my life before I make a penny at work. What about you?
  
  
• Is You Business/Career Doing Well.
  If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. Are you doing what you love or are you doing what will pay the bills. You may be in a place where paying the bills is the only priority. However, you can work, and save and create a plan so that you move into doing what you love and getting paid for it.  

• Are You Serving Others
  Sometime we can be selfish and consumed with our own needs and goals. However, the real joy and satisfaction in live comes when we focus on being of service to others. Don’t serve out of guilt and obligation. Serve out of commitment to make a difference and gratitude. Many people use Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to identify the path they are on for life and want to get to self-actualization. Few know he added another level called “transcendence.”  According to Maslow, “Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, and to human beings in general.” I think he may have gotten saved. He understood it does not matter if you get to the place where you realize your created potential, you are not inhibited by anyone or anything, and you enjoy yourself and your life free of guilt. It only matters if you can help someone else realize theirs.  

     As you are considering changing, listen to your heart. It may be hard to take when you have to let go of something you believed was the right thing, or if you see life tike me, was the will of God. Maybe it was. However, we all have to keep in mind that we are not isolated unto ourselves. We have to deal with people and everyone has to be on the same page in order for plans to work.  If you believed you chose correctly and it isn't working, it might be you, it might be the people you had to work with, or it might have been prepared for your development. 

     The wonderful blessing is when you have been obedient, God will provide better for you than what you think you had. Also remember, there’s no such thing as a wasted time, wasted efforts, a wasted degree, or anything wasted as long as your heart was in the right place and you gave it your all. It does not matter who might tell you otherwise. 

     Sometimes, you may find that your heart has led you to make bad choices. You shouldn’t view these as failures but as lessons on how to manage your gut instincts better. Remember, avoid analysis paralysis. Are you worried about taking the next step because of a genuine reason, or is it just an excuse you came up with? 

     In these times it is always a good thing to have a reliable support system. The people you are around the most should be your team. They know you and you know them. They don’t have to agree with you or like the change you are making. They should be able to voice their concerns. You have to be able to accept their concerns. For me, I need them to be prayer warriors, so they are able to stand by me when I say I heard God; like Noah’s family did when he predicted rain. They helped him build an ark when no one knew what rain was. 

     Your ideal support system should be people who have similar core values and principles. Who will tell you when they think you are wrong but are still respectful enough to support you if you do not agree with them.