Change by Aiming to Improve

Resistance to change is often highly over rated, particularly when you think about the amount of natural change that we all embrace from cradle to grave. I don't believe that we outwardly resist change, but I do believe that we can express resistance in our behaviours that are manifested through a lack of awareness and thus desire to change. Of course, change is much easier when it takes a natural flow. However, a dramatic change in lifestyle as a result of a heart attack can be forced on recovering patients. Yet, statistics prove, that very many heart attack victims return to their old habits within a year of recovery. The prospect of death does not drive them to change!

This is in interesting phenomenon because it shows just how hard it can be to change if you don't have the correct mindset. Acknowledging that you need to do something about your life and make changes can come as a violent thought process for many of us and the inertia to make the first step so unbearable that we simply withdraw and hope that circumstances will change for us. They do...in fact...but not necessarily for the better...things just get worse.

Rather than setting out to change, perhaps we would be better off working to improve the way we perform and how we do things. It can take far more energy to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than to improve from first-rate performance to excellence. This is why we must continually prepare and grow through the steps of change. This is exemplified by the fact that there is one prerequisite for managing the second half of life...you must begin doing so long before you enter it.

In order to improve anything, you must first understand it. To improve yourself, first undertake a self analysis and understand your self. Begin this by answering some simple questions:

1. What are my strengths?

2. How do I work?

3. What are my values?

4. Where do I belong?

5. What can I contribute?

Remember that what one does well...even very well and successfully...may not fit with one's value system. Aim to improve and change will follow naturally.

http://thechangesamurai.blogspot.com/