Do you remember when you were a kid, school would start, days would get cooler, and you’d pull out jeans that had been in your dresser all summer? To your surprise, they’d be too small.
That’s the way we wish change would work—without any major effort and while running around with friends, enjoying time off, and soaking up some rays. And then one day, you feel the joy of the “Wow! Look how much I’ve grown!” experience.
But most of the time, change is a lot more like shoveling your driveway in the winter—you know it needs to be done but aren’t excited about it. At first it just feels like you’re moving stuff around without truly getting rid of it, the residue takes a while to melt, and you didn’t realize how sweaty you’d get before finishing.
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
-Andy Warhol
You’re likely reading this blog because you want some part of your life to change. It’s just that deep in your gut and somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re hoping that it won’t require you to do anything differently.
It’s okay. You’re not the first person to want things to change without having to do anything differently, and you won’t be the last. But if you honestly want things to be different, you’re going to have to take action.
Why do we fight change even when we know we need it?
It’s because the only thing scarier than dealing with a known discomfort is facing something unknown. And when it comes to change, you can’t know what the process of going through it or the results on the other side will be until you’re in the middle of the process and then on the other side.
As frustrating, scary, or intimidating as that knowledge is, if you want things to be different, you have to face the reality of the unknown and accept that life is a hands-on activity.
Maybe you’re thinking that nothing is going to get in the way of your change, and that’s awesome. You’re right. But there might come a day when it feels like something is getting in the way, when it feels like nothing is going to happen. What do you do then?
And if you know you need to change, but you aren’t sure if you have what it takes to do it, the day when it feels like you’re not going to make it is already here.
Either way, there is something very important you need to realize: The way you feel doesn’t control your life. The way you THINK and ACT does.
I’ve seen top executives with mostly wonderful lives who just want a little more, people who were abused beyond anything most other people can even imagine, and people with addictions and anxiety issues that paralyzed them. And yet, each of them made it to the results they wanted.
If they did it, then you can do it too.
Some Helpful Options
- There are many articles on this blog with free tips and information to help you on your journey to living a life you love.
- If you prefer a more concentrated self-help version, check out my book è Same Shit Different Day
- If you’d like some one-on-one help, click here