Change Is Not Easy, But Why Not?

Change is not easy. There are even aspects that make it impossible and sometimes unnecessary to change. There is no model of a perfect human that we should all resemble. 

In addition, the concept of ‘normal’ is something relative. People who deviate from the norm are often the ones who make the greatest contributions to society.

However, there are aspects where changes are in order. We are talking here about problems that limit our lives or that we suffer from.

It’s not a matter of trying to resemble other people. The most reasonable thing is to simply live in a way that is best for us.

Nor is it about a transformation of our personality. What we should be looking for are  things that cause us discomfort.

Change is not easy, but if you create realistic expectations it is certainly possible. In addition, it is important to remove some obstacles. Below you will find some of these obstacles.

Change is not easy without feedback

We are often aware of bad behavior. For example, if we react impulsively, continue to smoke or have a sedentary lifestyle. In these cases,  consciousness is there, but we don’t see the underlying problem. This is why change is difficult.

A good way to encourage change is by making the consequences of bad behavior visible. Let’s take an example.

Most people know to wash their hands before eating. However, many people don’t do this. If they were to use a dye that would expose the bacteria on their hands, this would certainly be different.

Try applying this to yourself. Think in detail about the consequences of negative behavior. Make a list and describe these consequences in detail.

Then check the list regularly. Also, continue to look for new harmful effects of that particular behavior. In short, face the consequences of the behavior you want to change.

Lack of motivation or support

No matter how negative a behavior is, if we keep doing it, it means it gives us something. The problem is that the benefit often only lasts in the short term, while the negative consequences only show up in the long term. That’s why it’s so easy to ignore the harm of the behavior.

That’s why we often need  motivation and support to keep alive the desire to change. It is good to communicate with the people around us. Ask them to help you remember how important the change is. Not to pressure us, but to encourage us.

It is also good to practice self-motivation. Rewarding yourself is always a good option. Give yourself something for every goal you achieve. Recognize the effort you are making. Change isn’t easy, but there are few things as satisfying as achieving it.

Identify triggers and alternatives

We all have routines that make change difficult. They are associated with the behavior we want to modify and make it more difficult to achieve our goal.

Routines make us fall back on our old, negative behavior. Suppose you have decided to exercise for an hour every day, but you have a habit of going to bed late. You’re making it harder on yourself now than it needs to be.

At other times, the things that “trigger” negative behavior are more subtle. For example, if you have the habit of leaving rubbish everywhere. This bothers the people you live with. It is a source of conflict and strife. But you are disorganized because you are experiencing a certain amount of uneasiness and the feeling that there is not enough time.

In this last example, the trigger in the background is this sense of rush. It makes you believe that you don’t have two minutes to clean up some stuff. In such cases,  it is important to recognize the problem and look for alternative solutions.

How can you banish anxiety from your life? How can you create more order without feeling like you are ‘losing’ valuable time?

Change is not easy, especially because we will always encounter resistance, consciously or unconsciously. Maybe we don’t want to change because we haven’t looked at the benefits of behavior change.

Or because we are victims of a rigid way of thinking. We have not found any alternative behavior that can replace the negative behavior.

Nothing guarantees that we will get what we want, but if we consciously persevere, the change we seek will get closer and closer.