Tomorrow, I am celebrating my 20th year in Nevada.

It was in 1995, on the day after Labor Day, that I dropped my mom off at the airport before I drove to work for my first day at a new job in a new city – over 2,700 miles from “home.”

Was it exciting? Sure it was.

Was it scary? Absolutely.

I didn’t know a soul in Reno. I was living in a furnished apartment for a few months until I could get myself situated.  My job was pretty demanding as we had an annual meeting coming up in less than 30 days.  And I was the new kid on the block – under the microscope as a new CEO.

It had been a big decision to pick up and start over so far away. A friend had counseled me that if it didn’t work out, I could always move back to New York. So, with this back-up plan, I started my day.

Fast forward 20 years and it has all worked out wonderfully for me. Nevada has been a great place – a land full of opportunity.

I decided to write about my experience today because I feel that we really “stretch” as individuals through change.  Yet change can cause unrest, self doubt, fear and conflict (both internal and external).

Change comes in different shapes and sizes:

• Anticipatory – planned change based on expected situations
• Reactive – unplanned change in response to an unexpected situation
• Incremental – small steps to minimize risk
• Strategic – heading in a whole new direction with many potential risks

You don’t have to make a change as big as I did to grow and stretch as a person.

But one thing is for certain … reactive change will be a part of all of our lives, so getting some practice in might make adapting easier … when we are forced to change.

Jeanette