We are all unhappy with some aspect of our life and would like to change it. However just the thought of change freezes us, and we start giving excuses to ourselves and to others around us as to why the change is not good or why we should not change.
The main reason for us not taking the first step towards the much required change is our belief that we do not have a choice. Many a times we strongly believe that there is no choice and we are stuck in a given situation or with a particular trait. The reason we are not willing to look beyond is that the alternative may not be comfortable for us or it may lead us to situations which we do not know how to handle. So, it is not that there is an absence of choice but that we are unwilling to give the alternative a try as it is chartering new waters.
An entrepreneur recently approached me as even after a year his business was going nowhere. He was genuinely perplexed that given his pedigree, his experience with some of the top companies and his contacts in the business world how can his business not be successful. I realized that he was operating in a similar manner as he was when working with a reputed MNC. He failed to realize the changed circumstances that now he did not have the big brand name or their infrastructure to support him. It took him a couple of conversation sessions to realize this fact.
And isn’t this what we all do, continue to operate in the same manner irrespective of the changed environment, circumstances or the people we work with?
Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Change is the basic law of nature. Though we acknowledge that the world around is changing, we refuse to change our beliefs, our thoughts and our actions. We always believe that everything else around us should change while we remain the same.
I would like you to take a few minutes and pick one area of your life where you want to better things and answer these questions for yourself,
- Do I really believe that I need to change?
- How much do I believe I need to change?
- What I am going to achieve by changing?
- Am I willing to try and change?
- Am I willing to persevere once I start the process of change?
When you start answering these questions, you may feel challenged and pushed to new zones and want to give up. And that is the key, not to give up when you start feeling uncomfortable and fears start confronting you. Instead use this as a starting point to face your fears and adapt to the changing situations. At this point ask yourself, “What will it cost me not to change?”
And most importantly remember change starts with I.
