Change or die?

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.     –   Charles Darwin

 

By now we are all well versed in the concept of change. The situation in our country and around the world demands it as our various systems show signs of weariness and faulty thinking

Chances are, these new conditions have caused many of us to consider changes within our own lives. Dramatic events have a tendency to do that, just as September 11th did for many people years ago.

And yet, so many of us struggle with the concept and ability to change. We often resist making the changes we know we need to make that will lead to something better for us. And that resistance is dangerous. As I recently heard at a business seminar, “Hesitation is the leading cause of roadkill.” Similarly, such hesitation and resistance to change in our lives, while not often deadly, certainly creates more pain and anguish, especially when we know we need to make the changes we are considering.

So what’s really behind that resistance? Why is it that we neglect the things we know we need to do in order for us to have a better life? Believe it or not, it can be boiled down to a simple equation.

D + PF + CC > RC

Translated that means:

Dissatisfaction + Preferred Future + Clear Commitment is greater than the Resistance to Change.

Or, said another way, unless our level of dissatisfaction is significantly high and is combined with a preferred future (vision) and a clear and strong commitment to that preferred future, we will not be able to overcome the inertia and resistance to change. Any one of these components alone is rarely enough to create Real Change in our lives. All three must be present for the transformation we desire to truly take hold.

So where do you stand in your formula for change? Will you be able to overcome your resistance to change, or will you become another piece of roadkill alongside the highway of your life?