Step Two: Be honest about your old role

What was it that you liked most about your old role and the way your life was before the change? This is probably the same thing you miss the most. It's natural when thinking about change to feel sad about giving some of these things up.

It’s also important to take a hard look at what you did not like about your old role and your life before the changes you've experienced. As time passes, we often forget the difficult things about our old situations and remember the past as better than it really was. It's important to remain realistic about the past as well as the future. Take advantage of the change: If there's something you didn't like about the old role, a new role can be the chance to redefine yourself.

For example, if you want to improve your social life, you might want to define your “old self” as “too quiet and holding back.” Then you could define your new role-what you want to be-as “social and outgoing.”