Change is inevitable - The old saying should be modified to say "Nothing is certain except death and taxes - AND change". If change is inevitable, why do so many people fight it? If change affects your belief, how do you handle it? Can you handle it? Before I get into a specific example, here is what I think are the 3 main reasons people resist change:
- Effort
- Loss
- Fear
Effort - Change usually requires effort on our part. We don't like to put out more effort. Maybe you are happy where we are. Maybe you are going though some other changes and the effort is piling up. Maybe you put a lot of effort into the LAST change and need a break. In any case, change is going to require some effort. Our goal is to decide how and what type of effort we are going to put into this change. It could be short term, it could be for the rest of our lives. And we may need help.
Loss - whenever there is change, there is the potential for loss. It could be a financial, emotional, time or tradition loss. Now some change involves gain. Taking on a better job for instance. But there is the uncertainty of losing what we have now. The NOW is certain, predictable and already accounted for. Change involves the future, and that brings the potential for loss, even though it might be miniscule in percentage. Humans have an aversion to loss, probably built into our DNA; as the leaders take the chances, while the group as a whole takes it carefully.
Fear - Fear can be paralyzing - it can keep us from moving at all. Fear can take several forms, fear of a loss of purpose, loss of identity, loss of long held beliefs or fear that we have the ability to change. Sometimes, the fear is that the change is so substantial; that our core beliefs might be challenged, and the fear is that we will loose who we are - so we cling to the now and lock off and out any new changes. In the military, they sometimes have to "break" a person in order to build them up stronger. To one degree or another, this "breaking" goes on each time we change, .
There are books on change so I am sure I missed a lot. These three reasons though, seem to be at the heart of why we do not like and resist change. Now, what if change is NOT good for you? What if change is just for change sake? If you wish to face change, and how you are going to honestly deal with it, maybe you should review the three reasons people resist change and seriously examine what your motivation is.
