Change is hard and that will not change

Gunnar R. Fischer
Sep 3, 2018 · 1 min read

Change always comes with one constant: It is hard. Everybody wants it but nobody wants to do it. Or, as a very nice cartoon expresses it:

“Who wants change?” / “Who wants to change?”

(I tried to pin down the original source which turned out to be harder than I thought. The best I could come up with was: Québecmeme / qcme.me/ZGtjZGL ; original wording: Qui veut du changement ? / Qui est prêt à changer ?)

Why is change so difficult to achieve? The force of habit is strong. We function most efficiently on known paths — only that sometimes, this is not good enough to survive.

It is fundamental to understand the nature of change before aiming for any improvement. But once you have learned that lesson, you can concentrate on what is possible.

Don’t expect others to change. Forget about any improvement that starts with “they should” — because they won’t. Change yourself because this is what is under your control.

Change every day a little. Don’t expect impressive results anytime soon. Changing really pays back on mid- and long-term.

Not every change will bring an improvement. It can also be that you learn that this isn’t really your thing. But then at least you know it and can freely explore other options.

Enjoy every successful change for the better. It was hard enough! Take it as a compliment if others try to talk it down — this is called envy. Don’t measure yourself against others but against yourself some time before.

“I saw it was a time for a change” — The Rolling Stones, Sympathy For The Devil

Gunnar R. Fischer

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