In the minds of many, change is a dirty word. When we hear ‘change’, we think disruption of sorts. A threat. Something that ruins the status quo and forces us to go back and break what’s comfortable for us.
So change tends to have a negative connotation.
That’s because we associate change with external situations. Change in our circumstances, change in our environment, change in other people, change in systems or processes, change in having to do things differently because of other people.
All of this is change that is out of our control. And most people feel uncomfortable when they are unable to control a situation. We instinctively seek safety, and change threatens that safety.
But what about change that is within our control?
This is the kind of change many people neglect as we tend to focus on the ‘external’ rather than the ‘internal’.
We continue to struggle as we wait for the economy to reach ‘normality’. We wait for the market to change and recognise the value we offer. We wish our employees could be this way or that way. We give out about all the things our employer does wrong.
Here’s the thing – any one of these elements of our environment may or may not change. And we have zero control over them, which puts us in a weak position.
However, what you do have control over, is yourself.
You can change.
And you can decide what to change, when to change, and how to change. And that’s powerful. It puts you back in the driving seat.
And here’s something even deeper many of us don’t realise. By changing you; you have the power to change your environment and circumstances. In fact, positive change on the outside is only ever initiated by change on the inside first.
There’s a quote by Jim Rohn, which has been a guiding light for me for many years now, and it says:
“For things to change, you’ve got to change.
For things to get better, you’ve got to get better”
But what does it mean?
Well, external change is inevitable.
We can react negatively to it. And we can spend our time and energy giving out about it. We can blame others for our circumstances, and we can resent others for what they have done to us.
But in order to make a real difference, we need to look internally.
Consider it this way. If you’re experiencing people, events or circumstances that you perceive to be adverse to you – then take it as a feedback mechanism for what you need to change internally.
If people are constantly challenging you and bringing you down; then where in your life are you being proud?
If circumstances aren’t the way you’d like them to be; then what is the fantasy you are addicted to?
If you’re resentful for the changes that are going on around you, or of some people that are in your life; then what are the parts of them that you have not yet recognised exist in yourself?
I use the analogy of the pendulum…the pendulum always wants to be in a state of equilibrium. If it swings too far in one direction, then forces will be brought to bear in order to bring it back to equilibrium.
You are that pendulum.
You are constantly being forced into a state of equilibrium.
In life, these can be events, people, or circumstances that show up in your life to help you to change. They are all a feedback mechanism.
And if you’re addicted to a particular outcome, dream or fantasy, then you will attract the opposite.
It’s all to bring you into a state of equilibrium. And it can be proved time and time again.
Reflect on your own life and find the evidence for yourself.
So for things to change, what is it that you need to change within yourself?
Secondly, just as in your personal life as it is when it comes to your business, if you want your personal life to be better, then you’ve got to get better.
If you want your business to be better, then you’ve got to make your business better. This can be in terms of your operations, your customer service, or the product or service you offer.
If you’re not getting better, then you reach a point of being stagnant. When that happens, then there will be no end of people or competitors that will overtake you and gain a bigger slice of the market.
In Japanese businesses, they use the word Kaizen. Which means continuous improvement.
How are you making yourself better in your personal life; but also how are you making your business better and more valuable for your customers, or how are you making yourself better for your employer?
The better you become, the more valuable you become.
So remember…
“For things to change, you’ve got to change.For things to get better, you’ve got to get better”
If you would like to discuss the above subject matter in more detail for you, your business or your organisation, feel free to reach out.