How To Make Change Happen

"People can't live with change if there's not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a senseless of who you are, what you are about and what you value" - Stephen Covey.

This is a sequel to the first post about change management article "Do People Change?". The different thing is, what I'm about to share is the practical concept of allowing positive change to happen within ourselves.

Change is always hard. It is not easy, or else there won't be any theories about change management. But change is very important. I can't stress this enough. Shake your comfort zone, because it sucks you down slowly like a quicksand.

Here's simple equation about input and output:

"What you think, determines your action. What you do determines your habit. Your habit determines your attitude. Your attitude will form your character. And your character is the only thing that determines your reputation"

I really don't think the old statement "Change your habit, then you change your destiny" is entirely correct. It isn't wrong, but not 100% correct. Because the basic in what our habit is our thinking, or in other word, our values. However, I'm open to an argument if there's any

How do you form your values?

1. Parents and/or Mentor's Point of View

Part of what we believe now is actually inherited from our parents. Without you even realize, how they taught us to eat, walk, play, and behave slowly form us into what we were. And generally, parents are role models for their children, so what they do can indirectly influence you as well.

2. Social Environment

If you are born as an eagle, but you grow and live with ducks since the beginning, then you are a duck indeed. Because you are what you think. So choose your friends and partners carefully. Many people make this mistake because they are too late to realize.

3. Needs

I will refer to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which points out that there are 5 level of needs of human. Starting from the lowest needs is the "Physiological" consist of basic human needs like food, water, and shelters. Up until the highest level is the "Self-actualization" that defines morality, creativity, spontaneity, etc. Being in one particular level in for a long period of time will also define our values.

I think we also have to agree that somehow values do not represents anything good or bad. It is a word to describe whatever we stood by. But there is good and bad values as to say there's good and bad thinking. Perform the input-output equation above and I bet you know where you're heading.

As hard as it is to change what our believes are, there's still lights at the end of the tunnel. Here are 3 tips we have to CONSTANTLY remember. I stressed the word CONSTANTLY because this is like "reprogramming" yourself.

1. START FROM OURSELF

If we want to step into a new higher level, stop making excuses, blame others or the situation, instead, look inside and get insights, realize your potential, overcome your doubts and laziness. It is ourselves to blame for whatever bad thing we have now. Unless we accept that, change will never happen.

2. START FROM SOMETHING SMALL

This is also very fundamental in change management. Small things have small impacts, correct? So, why bother about small changes? Why can't just focus on a big bang initiatives?

If you want to change, you have to "love" the process first. In order to love the process, you must not be frustrated by your attempts because it is just to hard to handle. This will do nothing but kill your inner motivation.

Choose from what you can afford to do to change, and then commit to it. After you succeed your first attempt, get used to it, and start to mount more loads in each attempt.

3. START NOW

Yes, now is the perfect time to start. After you make a good plan on what basic thinking and habits that you must change, do it now. We live in the present and present is the only moment that carved our future. The past is history and if you still carry it on your back, you will never be motivated to change the present.

Image by Dappers