Square Two of the Change Cycle
Photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash
Today we continue our series on Martha Beck’s cycle of change, moving on to square two (if you missed prior posts, you can visit here to read about the change cycle and visit here to learn more about square one).
When we’re stuck in square one, feeling lost and confused, it can feel like we’ll never have clarity again. But one day, often when we’re least expecting it, a new energy starts to slowly move in.
We start to laugh a little more. We start to feel the tiniest glimmers of hope. We start to sense that maybe there just might be life on the other side of this change.
We’re moving into the next phase of the change cycle. Welcome to square two.
Square two is when we start to imagine possibilities. We may find ourselves daydreaming about what’s next, wanting to try new things, or noticing new waves of inspiration and creativity. We may suddenly find ourselves rearranging the living room, changing our hair, or buying new clothes (these are often tell-tale signs that you’re in square two!).
Square two is about envisioning and imagining new identities. In square two we’re not ready yet to take our dreams out into the world, but our dreams are starting to take shape.
The most important thing that you can do in square two is to give yourself permission to dream big, without any rules. Square two is about the what, not the how. This is the part where you let your dreams run wild and free without taking action or thinking “realistically.”
Here are strategies to support yourself through dreaming and scheming in square two:
Remember: The first rule of this phase is that there are no rules. Don’t let reality constrain you. This phase is about envisioning without action.
Daydream. Let yourself name and claim your wildly improbable goals.
Pay attention to who or what makes you jealous. Envy can be a highly useful emotion for pointing you toward what you want.
Create a vision board.
Write down your dreams. If you find yourself scheming and making plans, write those down too. Writing things down is a powerful way to claim what you want and to get your brain churning.
Martha Beck’s mantra for guiding yourself through square two? There are no rules, and that’s okay.
For some of us, square two can feel like unnecessary fluff; we just want to get to the part where we’re taking action and making things happen. But square two is critical. If we skip or rush this stage, we can find ourselves taking action on the wrong things, moving ourselves into a life we don’t really want and putting us back into square one.
Personally, square two is my favorite phase of the change cycle. It’s a dreamy and magical time, and it’s where so much goodness happens. If you’re in square two, savor it. Live into it. Our brain pays attention to what we give our attention; give your dreams all the room they want to grow and take shape, and I promise the wheels are going to get turning.
Next up? We’ll be taking those dreams out into the real world. Stay tuned next week to learn all about square three.
