When the topic of change comes up in conversations with others (clients of mine or not), I often hear “Oh, I really hate change!” People seem to think they hate change more than others, or have a “corner on the market” in disliking change and preferring the status quo.
I think most of us don’t like when things change. Even if the changes are for the good, it’s still change. Imagine if you are marrying the love of your life, moving into your dream house, and starting your dream job. All these changes still cause stress, and make us uncomfortable. You might have even thought there was something wrong with you for being uncomfortable.
Imagine now, if the change under consideration is more fundamental, such as changing one’s eating or physical activity habits, or quitting smoking. These seemingly simple changes can be even harder than the ones I mentioned in the paragraph above. For most of us, our food, exercise and smoking habits are really basic to who we are. On the face of it, these behaviors should be easy to change, but they are not.
When we expect our clients to make these changes, and free frustrated when they don’t, it’s tempting to blame them. How can you NOT change that when we both know it’s key to your health? Let me ask you, now, how would you feel if I told you that you could never have your favorite foods again? Even if it was in your best interest?
I invite you to really consider this for yourself. Perhaps you have been faced with this dilemma yourself. I think that we learn these ideas best when we apply them to ourselves.
