Try This for a Change
I have been thinking about change because I know a couple who need to make some changes but won't. Also, I have been trying to make some changes in my diet so I am eating healthier. My conclusion is that change is hard.
The other night Kathy commented how perfect the dining room table was. I had wanted to get something different because what we had was counter height and very uncomfortable for Kathy because of her ongoing leg problems. As a result, we we eating our meals in the living room.
We looked at dining tables for a while but I just did not want to pay $1000 or more for a table. Then we gave up for several months. One day I decided to look on Facebook Marketplace. In a day or two we found a table about a mile from us that was perfect for $120. We sold our old table on Marketplace in two days and came out a little ahead. We did not know the person we got the table from, but we did know the couple she had gotten it from. Why did it take so long? Kathy's answer to that was that change is scary. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the need to make changes.
As a cover bus driver, I face change everyday. I don't know what I will be doing when I show up to work. Somedays I long for a route of my own where I can just do the same thing day after day. Comfort is an enemy of change. What I have concluded is that, although it can be challenging, doing different routes everyday helps me to become better as a bus driver and I think also, as a person. In addition, I have become more valuable to my employer because I am more versatile. I can also help other drivers because I know many of the routes. The truth is sometimes we just won't make changes until we are forced to even though the changes are often better than the status quo.
Earlier this year Kathy told me about how her sister-in-law had lost over 60 pounds on a weight loss program. Kathy had decided she did not want to stay stuck in her chair elevating her leg but didn't know how to change that. Seeing what someone else had done, together with hearing me say we could afford the cost of the plan, gave her hope. To date she has lost 36 pounds.
She is able to lose wait because it is a good program. She has a coach who can help her and has proven, by her own weight loss, that the program is effective. And of course, she has me. I try to eat the same way that she does except more of it. It is not easy but definitely worth it for her to have more mobility. Also, it's really cool that she fits into clothes she hasn't been able to wear worn for a long time.
So, if you have a change you need or want to make, I have a few simple suggestions. First, define the change you want to make and why you want to make it. It's hard to arrive at your destination if you don't know where it is.
Second, plan the steps you need to make and take the first step. Since we already decided change can be hard, small steps at first are a good idea. Your confidence and determination will grow as you achieve each small step toward your desired change.
Next, find someone, or a few someones, to advise, encourage and help you to be accountable to your plan. I wont say you can't do it alone but your chances for success are way better if you have some people committed to helping you.
Finally, keep telling yourself the why. Somewhere along the way you will feel like giving up but remembering your why, and how great it will be to cross the finish line and achieve your goal, will keep you motivated. Just a thought.
Next week I will dig a little deeper about making changes that enhance your life and maybe your legacy. Don't miss "You Got the Power!"
The other night Kathy commented how perfect the dining room table was. I had wanted to get something different because what we had was counter height and very uncomfortable for Kathy because of her ongoing leg problems. As a result, we we eating our meals in the living room.
We looked at dining tables for a while but I just did not want to pay $1000 or more for a table. Then we gave up for several months. One day I decided to look on Facebook Marketplace. In a day or two we found a table about a mile from us that was perfect for $120. We sold our old table on Marketplace in two days and came out a little ahead. We did not know the person we got the table from, but we did know the couple she had gotten it from. Why did it take so long? Kathy's answer to that was that change is scary. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the need to make changes.
As a cover bus driver, I face change everyday. I don't know what I will be doing when I show up to work. Somedays I long for a route of my own where I can just do the same thing day after day. Comfort is an enemy of change. What I have concluded is that, although it can be challenging, doing different routes everyday helps me to become better as a bus driver and I think also, as a person. In addition, I have become more valuable to my employer because I am more versatile. I can also help other drivers because I know many of the routes. The truth is sometimes we just won't make changes until we are forced to even though the changes are often better than the status quo.
Earlier this year Kathy told me about how her sister-in-law had lost over 60 pounds on a weight loss program. Kathy had decided she did not want to stay stuck in her chair elevating her leg but didn't know how to change that. Seeing what someone else had done, together with hearing me say we could afford the cost of the plan, gave her hope. To date she has lost 36 pounds.
She is able to lose wait because it is a good program. She has a coach who can help her and has proven, by her own weight loss, that the program is effective. And of course, she has me. I try to eat the same way that she does except more of it. It is not easy but definitely worth it for her to have more mobility. Also, it's really cool that she fits into clothes she hasn't been able to wear worn for a long time.
Second, plan the steps you need to make and take the first step. Since we already decided change can be hard, small steps at first are a good idea. Your confidence and determination will grow as you achieve each small step toward your desired change.
Next, find someone, or a few someones, to advise, encourage and help you to be accountable to your plan. I wont say you can't do it alone but your chances for success are way better if you have some people committed to helping you.
Finally, keep telling yourself the why. Somewhere along the way you will feel like giving up but remembering your why, and how great it will be to cross the finish line and achieve your goal, will keep you motivated. Just a thought.
Next week I will dig a little deeper about making changes that enhance your life and maybe your legacy. Don't miss "You Got the Power!"
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