Embracing Change
“Commit to Adapting & Thriving”

Sometime ago a Charlie Brown comic strip had some simple yet powerful words concerning how we view change. Lucy said she would like to change the world. Charlie Brown asked how, and she replied she would begin with changing him!

People for the most part do not like change. They come into a situation wanting to change everything except themselves. The problem is always “out there.” It is never “in here.” Throughout this strategy we will investigate the whys as well as the hows of making change a reality. There are two main things that we should change in our lives. The first is how we feel about something. The second is our behavior, such as our eating habits. The best kind of change will ultimately be progressive in nature.

Not all change is progress, but all progress is change. Even though most people resist change, it is life to the peak performer. We all must confront change at one time or another. To reach any level of achievement in this life, change is inevitable.

Do you want to see progress in your life? Do you have goals in your life, dreams you want to come true? I believe you do. Change challenges people to grow and be different. Change is something a majority of the people resists and fears. It is, however, a blessing. It is life. If we seek out positive change, we come to know ourselves better. We grow. We become more confident improving ourselves and enhancing the world around us. By changing we turn today’s pain into tomorrow’s gain. We become progress makers. Progress makers simply make progress their only viable choice. If we choose any other option, we are choosing to be progress takers, settling for living off other’s progress.

Progress makers realize that tomorrow will never be different unless they change. They do not make a change without a plan. The plan may change with the circumstances, but they continue to follow it.

To be a peak performer your interest should lie in creating a life, not just living one. How can you keep pace with all the change and remain sane? The answer lies in understanding the difference between living and just existing. To live means to create. To merely exist means to stagnate. If you’re living, you are continuously planning without becoming complacent. True living does, however, breed contentment. To be satisfied with who you are is good. To become lazy is not. If you are going to perform at your peak, change will be part of who you are rather than who you want to become. In order to realize the significance of this statement a few things need to be considered.

• Where do you want to be in 1, 5, 10 years, and beyond? (The Plan)
• What will it take for you to get there? What sacrifices will it take? (The Cost)
• Are you willing to make those sacrifices for a better tomorrow? (The Payment)

Some plan but don’t figure the cost. Others take a wild stab at the cost but don’t plan. Most choke on the payment. They just can’t sign that check.

“I’d like to go back to school, but it takes too long.”

“I need to make a certain amount of money, but I am not comfortable doing what it takes.”

Time goes right by these people. When it does they’ll be that much older with nothing to show for it. Just talking about somewhere will never get you there. If you continue doing the same thing, assuredly you will continue to see the same results.

Two plus two equals four and will continue to equal four until the end of time — unless we change the equation. Many people today use what I call “death equations.”

“If only tomorrow…”

“Someday I will…”

“One day let’s…”

“One of these days I am going to…”

“When I get this weight off I will…!”

To perform at your peak it is important that you act on the things that change your life. The purpose of this book is to make you act, to do what it takes to succeed. You have made the first move to a better life by reading this book.

Most people desire someone to hold them accountable and guide them on the path to success. There is only one catch. You and you alone must make it happen. Changing one’s thinking begins the routine of real change.

• When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.
• When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations.
• When you change your expectations, you change your attitude.
• When you change your attitude, you change your behavior.
• When you change your behavior, you change your performance and ultimately you change your life.

The mistake many people make is waiting for their circumstances to change their behavior, instead of changing with the circumstances. Quit thinking times are bad. Begin looking at your life as a new and exciting challenge. Be a peak performer by embracing the concept of becoming a progress maker. Environments change, industries change and regardless of what others may say, people do change.

Managed care caused significant changes within healthcare profession during the 1990s. Doctors literally lost their practices because they were unwilling to adapt to managed care. They wanted to continue running their offices as they did in the 80s. The times wouldn’t allow it.

The “mom and pop” stores are another example of resisting change. They are now replaced with bright lights, gasoline, and food. Their variety appeals to the public at large. Those that were motivated to change with the times survived. Those that weren’t are extinct.

Motivation means movement. It means tapping into the unlimited power given to you by God and moving forward. It means making a difference, advancing ourselves and those we contact.

If we are motivated, we become passionate about what we are doing. Standing still is not an option. We then focus our attention on improvement while energizing ourselves. We create a momentum that builds the confidence and self-esteem necessary to make change a reality.

If we remain the same, we start feeling complacent. Soon, if we are not careful the greatest obstacle success and change have ever known will raise its ugly head. That obstacle is known as fear.

When fear places its death grip around you, doubt soon becomes the rule rather than the exception. We doubt abilities and become overwhelmed with the changes around us. We begin fighting for the illusion of security, failing to recognize that true security lies within us.
Change doesn’t require a miracle. It just requires a little faith and a willingness to learn. Do you want to grow? Are you willing to try something new?

As I write this book, I realize that if I am going to produce the work I desire, I must change. I talk about change all the time. As a matter of fact, the prerequisite to attaining success is the willingness to learn and change. Without these foundational understandings, new information is a waste of time.

Do you believe we are destined to change? Do you resist change?

These are questions I commonly ask people attending our seminars. Inevitably 80¬¬–90 percent say they resist change. Consider this yourself. Is change something you resist? We now realize that people are destined to change. We are engineered to grow and succeed, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Should we lose sight of this fact, we convince ourselves that change is bad. We unknowingly place limits on our lives. If you are to succeed, you have to embrace change with optimism and enthusiasm. Those who fight what is natural ultimately lose the battle.

Stop and think for a moment. Are you tapping into your full potential? Are you organizing your time efficiently? Time management is one area that most people could use a crash course in. Throughout my career I have encountered more individuals with a lack of desire to make changes in this area than almost any other.

Think about how you spend your time. Is it as productive as it could be? Do you find yourself getting caught up in unimportant matters, working hard and getting nowhere? Most people never realize that their real enemy in life is their inability to sort through the clutter and realize their full potential.

Are you result oriented or task oriented?

That question answered honestly can tell whether you are a busy person or one that is more interested in “working on” the project before them. I have pondered many hours about why one employee can finish their work almost effortlessly while another is always busy but never completes a task.

The seemingly busy one is always asking for help. They constantly seek more help if you continue to give it. I call it the “busy syndrome.”

I have come to understand something about the “busy individual.” If they do not allow for change in their lives there is little hope for them in the workplace or in their ability to become a peak performer.

The Power of Perception

In order for us to really make change a reality in our life we must examine how we perceive what lies before us. It is not the change that people actually resist. It is the perception of the change. Two things essentially motivate people: pain and pleasure. If a person is convinced that there is pain in staying the same or pleasure in changing, creating a desire to change their life takes little effort. A simple illustration of this could be exercise. One could view exercise as positive while another views it as a “next to death” experience. These perceptions give people a reason to pursue a particular activity, or to resist it. Therefore if you are trying to change, it is the perception you must sell to yourself.

Peak performers tune into their ideas, visions, and the actions they want to implement. By learning to develop positive perceptions you will learn to accept change.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you are doing something? Many people continue to do things simply because they always done it that way. Rather than considering why they are doing something, time is often wasted doing unnecessary activities. To continue the ongoing change process, people need to ask why. Asking why forces us into deeper thinking. It challenges people to question assumptions that eat up our time. We then discover opportunity for improvement.

Being a peak performer carries with it risk. Peak performers turn risk into results. They are not afraid to take chances. Peak performers possess imagination and spirit. They do not lack courage, conviction, responsibility, or character. They walk in integrity and with a perception that stimulates change. They advocate excellence and thrive in adversarial environments.

Without change we limit ourselves in all areas of our lives. Are we standing still or moving forward? To be effective we give to others. We add value and fill needs. We solve problems and help people. We cherish the fact that we have the ability to change and make a difference in life.

Here is what I want you to do. Think of what you have desired to do for years. Places you would like to go and changes in your life you would like to make. Think of where you desire to be in five or ten years from today. Now write these things down and place them in a conspicuous place where you can refer to them. Afterwards use the following three rules of accomplishment to create an action plan to experience some forward movement in you life.

The Positive Rules of Accomplishment

1. Read the list three times a day (change it as often as necessary)
2. Think of what you want as often as possible
3. Do not talk to anyone about your goals or plans

Now start acting on it! Remember, a bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn. Begin now doing the things you have been procrastinating for years. Be a progress maker and create the life you desire. Proverbs 13:4 says, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

Peak performers are diligent, realizing that the right kind of pain produces pleasure, the kind of pleasure that lasts for a lifetime. Change only takes place when we link it to a given situation in our nervous system. Below are the five master steps to change. By following these simple steps you can make change a reality in your life. Before proceeding to change a given situation, ask yourself, Will these changes enhance my life and make it better? What do I really want?

I believe these questions must be answered honestly to make change last. For instance if the changes I think I want to make do not enhance my life they probably will not last. By the same token if I “think” I want something but really want something else, change won’t be permanent either. You may buy a quarter inch drill bit, but do you really want the drill bit or the quarter inch hole it will produce?

Five Master Steps to Change

Decide what you want and what is preventing you from having it.
You can’t be vague. We talked about what you wanted earlier, but did you really dig down deep inside yourself? If you’re sure you know what it is, what is preventing you from having it? Be clear on exactly what is stopping you, for example, fearing the pain it will take to change more than the pain you’ll experience from remaining the same.

Next, face your fear. Fear is the greatest obstacle to your success. Facing it is also the greatest character builder you will ever encounter. You will find that when you face your fears they will become smaller until they cease to exist. Fear is the sheep in wolf’s clothing. Once confronted, fear changes from something that could eat you to something you can eat. Learn to confront your fear. Peak performers eat fear for breakfast.

Last, make a decision to do what it takes to follow your plan of change to the end. Making a decision, even if occasionally wrong, is better than never making one at all.

Make change an absolute must.
You can change if you really want to, but thinking about what you should have done won’t accomplish anything. Don’t should have all over yourself. Realize a lack of change almost always results in mixed association with your nervous system. You need to gain leverage on yourself. You can do so by first making change exciting and then associating pain with not changing. If someone placed a gun to your head and told you to do something you would never do otherwise, you would probably do it. That’s leverage at its max. Change is 80 percent why and 20 percent how. Make your why non-negotiable.

Do something unexpected or different.
Have you ever been talking to someone and been interrupted, forgetting what you were talking about? That’s interrupting a pattern. If you are to render a pattern useless you must interrupt it in some way by doing something unexpected or different. If it’s an argument perhaps it’s whispering a private message in the other party’s ear. I once heard of someone that told her spouse to make pig sounds when he ate! That may be a little extreme, but you understand the power the unexpected has on our patterns and habits.

Condition yourself until the change remains constant.
Patterns are frustrating to break. After you make a change there will be subconscious pressure to revert back to the old way. I recently built a new office. Often I’ve caught myself driving to the old one. I had to condition myself, reminding myself over and over again, to drive to the new one. Rehearse the change repeatedly until you conquer your giant, whatever it may be. Then and only then will you be ready for the last step.

Test your change.
The last step in making real change in your life is to test what you have done. Check to see if you ever revert to an old habit. Stay alert to unconsciously switching back to an old pattern. If you can, test yourself and keep score.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: An author and speaker, Dr. Humble is often referred to as America’s Success Authority. He has written numerous articles published in professional journals worldwide as well as authored numerous books on business management and success principles. Dr. Humble has spoken to and consulted with thousands of his colleagues and individuals and on inspiration, personal development, motivation, leadership and business management. He is featured in the movie, The Journey, an inspirational film about life and the pursuit of success with Brian Tracy and Bob Procter scheduled for release in the fall of 2010. Often known for his Make It Happen & Peak Performance Strategies, his positive messages have placed him among the top inspirational speakers in America creating hope, belief and a winning attitude in people from around the globe. For more information you may visit his web site at www.makeithappennetwork.com.