I once read that we humans are so invested in making the “right” decision that even if we find we don’t like the path we have chosen, we hang in there for dear life.
That’s how much we don’t like change, and resist it as much as possible.
I found myself reading it a few times to let the meaning sink in, and because I like to be right as often as I can (okay, always). The author of that line, Susan Jeffers, continued on to bring up a good point – if something is not “right” anymore, there is value in learning that it isn’t.
There’s more value in knowing it’s time for change.
But we don’t like change, remember? Especially if we have to be the one to do it.
I can already feel your unease stirring. But I’ve noticed that if we want more, better, different, or anywhere-but-here, something will need to change. Change reduces the disconnect between where we are and where we want to be.
And because we resist change even if we say we want it, we need a real reason to make that shift.
Real vs Easy
Real reasons are different from easy reasons, which are the excuses we settle into just like our favorite chair in the living room.
If you want more energy, what’s your real reason?
Is it so you can get more done in a day? Is it to keep up with your kids? To grow your business and watch it succeed? Perhaps, with more energy, you can finally pursue that dream, the one you’ve been putting off for someday. Sometimes, it’s as simple as being tired of being tired.
Or maybe, you want all in. Days blurring into one another is not on your life’s plan, neither is being a passive spectator, watching the world pass you by. You want to LIVE, darn it! You want a more conscious life, full of vitality and enthusiasm.
Okay! But it’s not always easy figuring this out. A good starting point can be your dissatisfaction (the easy reason), working your way to what really matters to you (the real reason). Two words: dig deep.
What Is Your Secret?
What makes you feel tapped out and scraping the bottom of your energy barrel? Take a step back from your immediate frustrations and examine them. Keep stepping back till you see the bigger picture, or familiar patterns. You might notice that your reason goes beyond finishing that next big project or avoiding the daily 3 o’clock crash. My biggest block was frequently feeling tired and low and thinking “this is normal”.
I asked myself two questions:
1. If I don’t change anything, what will happen? How will I feel a week, a month, a year from now?
2. If I do change something, what will happen? How will I feel a week, a month, a year from now?
When you distill down your real reason (remember: dig deeeep), it will help you move beyond simply wishing and into consciously deciding. I love to make wishes and send them up into the air, just in case, but when I decide to do something, things tend to happen, and time is my friend again.
xxx
In my upcoming book, The Energy Shift, I talk about how to reduce the energy drainers in our life and boost the energy fillers. I’d love to share what’s worked for me, ideas from experts, and steps you can take to increase your personal energy and do more of what you want everyday. Join me. Click here to sign up, or hit reply.
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