You Need a BIG WHY to Make Big Change
Experiments are a way for us to learn new things. God even instructs us to engage in experiments with Him (Psalm 34:8; Matthew 11:29; I John 4:1). Our beliefs came to be as a result of our experiences. New experiences are necessary to bring about new ways of thinking.
Henry Ford said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Imagine being the guy who just bought a herd of horses and a lot full of carriages as the Model A was rolling out of the factory. Mr. Ford decided to do something different. The horse and carriage guy went out of business!
We all have default settings when it comes to our behavior. People cope differently. For some, it might be drinking or drugs. For others, it may be food or gambling. Some may turn to pornography when they’re stressed. People might isolate themselves and sleep for days. Some may choose to ignore problems and let them pile up until everything crashes and they’re forced to deal with a gigantic mess. And yes, there are even some who resort to acts of violence. Most of us have a go-to coping mechanism or three. What are some of yours?
How do we change our defaults? There are really only four steps in this and none of them are complicated. By the way, that does not mean they are easy! They are easy to understand but hard to do. You have to practice — a lot!
Get a Big Why
Why do you want to change? For you to stay motivated, you have to get a big WHY! If your reason for changing is too small, your planned change will always be a plan. It will never result in action. Let’s face it, if change was easy, you and I would have already made all the changes we need to make. You need a big reason to make substantial changes. Let me also say that someone else’s reason is not big enough. Your reason for your change has to be something you own. Here are two questions to help you with this.
What are the benefits of not changing? We tend to get self-righteous when answering this. Don’t be all righteous and say, “There are no benefits to not changing.” That’s not true. For example, I wouldn’t have to change my diet, I wouldn’t need to exercise, I wouldn’t feel guilty about either of those, and I could continue on doing the same old things without being uncomfortable.
What are the benefits of changing? Be direct in answering this. Avoid being to philosophical. For example, the benefits of losing 30 pounds would be having more energy, having a lowered chance of heart disease and diabetes, improving my chances of living longer, being with my wife longer (statistically), and being able to be a part of my grandchildren’s lives (statistically). Those are some big things. You have to decide what is big enough for you. Find the Big Why!
