Last
night at the LLLS meeting (Lusty Ladies Literary Society, don’t ask), the book
club my daughter, Miriam and I belong to, Heidi, a long time member said to
Jenn, a newer member, “If you haven’t
noticed, Miriam and Chris LOVE the word problematic.
They use it a lot.” Her comment took me by surprise. I wasn’t aware that either
of us overused that particular word. It
was, well, problematic.
It’s
easy to fall into patterns without recognizing them. I appreciate when someone
helps you by being brave enough to give you feedback. Thanks, Heidi.
Change
is always going to arrive with elements that are hard in the beginning. Doing
something in a new way, employing a new skill, or even invoking a new thought pattern
will always be tougher than doing, employing, or evoking the tried, tested, and
mastered. That’s why change, in and of itself, is difficult. You resolve to change;
you start – even with enthusiasm – and take a few tentative steps. And all too
soon it gets hard – not better. Quitting is easier than continuing. No wonder
we hate change and don’t do it very well.
See
if this seems familiar. Try changing your eating patterns. Today is the day,
you say to yourself as you climb out of bed. You eat a good breakfast. Head off
to the office and meet a co-worker who’s carrying a box of freshly baked donuts
because it’s her birthday. “Pour yourself a cup of coffee and head to the
conference room,” she says, “I got you your favorite – chocolate covered with
sprinkles.” Okay, you think, tomorrow will be a better day to get this diet off
the ground. It will be hard before it
gets easier.
No
wonder people who make tough changes successfully seem so rare. It’s not
because they can’t do something different – it’s because most people are
unlikely to keep doing the difficult thing long enough to make it a new normal.
We don’t realize the absolute reality that it WILL be hard before it gets
easier. You have to go through the hard part to get to the easier part. Allow
me to be the one to mention it!
My blog visited your blog today and your article on the hard part preceding the easy part is spot on! Of course, change is hard, but so what?
NOT changing is even harder, in the long term.
Thank you for a clear, concise and inspiring post. I am in the midst of changing my eating and exercise patterns so your comments are timely.
Posted by: Leslie Charles | July 13, 2009 at 02:31 PM