Have you ever faced a situation where you KNOW that you have to change something in order to get where you want to be, but you just can’t muster up the willpower to make the change?

Sure you do.

I would say that most of the time when you are faced with a problem or something that you need to overcome, you have a fairly good idea what needs to be done to address those issues.  But there is a factor of fear.  Fear of the unknown, fear of being uncomfortable, fear of a different routine, fear of a million different things.

Or maybe there is a factor of laziness.  Knowing that the change you need to make takes a lot of work and you just don’t want to put in the hours or manpower.

Perhaps there is a factor of the impossible.  There is no way you can make the change because to you it is utterly impossible.  You can’t see a way around it, so why even try?

I’ve been there plenty of times.  I’ve been afraid of making a change, don’t want to make a change, and felt like change is absolutely impossible.  I’ve been stubborn and stuck to my trusty routine and done nothing.  And you know what that got me?

Nowhere.

Sure, change is painful, difficult, and scary.  But change also is wonderful, enlivening, and moves you forward.  If you want to be or do something different, if you want to reach your goals, you’re going to have to change.  My high school band director used to tell us all the time, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  That has always stuck with me.

So how do you change when you don’t want to?  Here are a few things that I do when I know that I need to change but it isn’t coming easy.

Figure out why

Why don’t I want to change?  Once I know the motive for staying where I am, then I can come up with a plan to counteract that motive.  Most often for me, it’s the fact that I’ve become comfortable with where I am.

Make a list of ideas

I love lists.  They keep me organized, help to see what I still have to do and what I’ve already finished.  Once you’ve figured out your why, make a list of a few things that you can do to change your habits or routine to start moving in a different direction.

Choose one

Pick one thing to work on, just one.  You don’t have to take on the whole list.  That can be a little daunting.  Choose a small change that you can make and work on that until it becomes your new habit, then move on to the next thing on your list.

Don’t beat yourself up

You’re going to fail at some point.  That sounds harsh, but it’s completely realistic and totally alright.  We all fail and if we were perfect, life wouldn’t be any fun at all.  The important thing to remember when you do fail is to not beat yourself up.  You are trying and that is the most you can ask of yourself.  Trying and failing is better than never doing anything at all.  Pick yourself up and get right back at it.

Taking that first step and admitting that you have to change is a difficult one.  It can take you awhile to get to that point, but the important thing is that you get to that point.  Writing this post is just as much for me as it is for you.  Sometimes I need a little push in the right direction to start making the changes in my life that I know will lead me to my goals.

Yup, change is scary and trust me I resist it as much as the next person.  But when it comes to my health and happiness as well as yours, isn’t being a little scared yet still taking that leap of faith worth it in the end?

I think so.