Having just graduated from the Master’s program in English at San Francisco State University, I was so excited and honored to have been selected to teach undergraduate composition classes. This opportunity would allow me to put everything I learned into practice.
While I had taught English to non-native speakers for quite a few years prior, I became anxious about teaching a room of native English speakers. What if they thought my lessons were too basic?
This was my first semester, and the English department coordinator scheduled me for four classes to teach. While intimidating, this meant I had a full course load, which allowed me not to hustle to pay my rent.
Fast forward to the first day of class, as I anxiously waited for my students to arrive. Fifteen minutes into class no students came. What was happening?
“Keith, come into my office. I have some news”, said the coordinator who came to my classroom. “Due to enrollment and furloughs, we’ve had to cancel two of your classes.” Because I was one of the newest teachers, I was the first one to be cut.
I was sad to have lost some classes, but even more importantly, I was not prepared financially. With half of my semester’s salary and no insurance, I was a deer in the headlights.
Looking for my next opportunity on Craigslist jobs, I found an administrative role at an Academy of Art University in San Francisco. While my dream was not to be an administrator, this role would help me recover from this financial loss.
I ended up working at this university for five years and moved into a full-time faculty member teaching English and Web Design within nine months of starting. This is exactly what I wanted, as teaching part-time was stressful and not stable, as I learned the hard way.
Change can catapult you into opportunities that can be a better fit for you in the long run. When you are clear on your ultimate goal, you might be guided along obstacles, but you will always find your way.
Adapting to Change
Similar to me, when you are adopting new practices, unexpected change can derail your plans. As humans, we use predictability to arrange our lives. Our lives are made up of routines that shape our perceptions. When something jolts us out of this routine, oftentimes, we don’t know how to react.
Some of us can better adapt to change more than others. Have you ever seen a life-changing experience happen to someone, and they are able to shrug it off? This rare breed of people does exist. I wish I could be more like them.
Is it possible for you to learn how to adapt to change more easily? Yes, of course! While part of this is your innate mindset, a meaningful way to become more adaptable is to expose yourself to new situations often.
Start small: Try ordering a new cuisine that you are not familiar with. Bike instead of driving to work for one day. Join a beginner’s dance class. Getting out of your usual routine not only helps you adapt to change more efficiently, but it also can help you find new types of joy.
Question your thoughts
When you are in an uncomfortable situation, you can ruminate on what you’ll do next. This is a matter of survival…or is it? Sometimes things can’t be controlled as much as you’d like. For example, you probably didn’t see this change coming, just like what happened to me when my course load was reduced.
Turn off your Negative Nelly brain. This usually is the first reaction to unexpected change, but it’s not helpful. It’s time to realign the questions you are asking yourself. Reframe your thoughts using the following forward-thinking language:
- How can I turn this setback into an opportunity?
- How can I diversify my skillset?
- How can I move past worry?
These questions can help you look past your current situation and process how to move forward. With these questions, I posted them on my bedroom walls to remind me of how to focus my energy. Try it for yourself.
In Conclusion
To sum up, unexpected change can be challenging to adapt to, especially when it comes to new practices or experiences. However, it is possible to learn how to adapt to change more quickly by exposing yourself to new situations, questioning your thoughts, and reframing them in a forward-thinking way.
By practicing this mindset, you can learn to turn setbacks into opportunities and move past worry. Remember to start small and focus on diversifying your skillset; this can help you to find new joys in life.