I could not believe I heard this out of a client’s mouth the other day.  Do you have one of those statements or phrases that just kind of “set you off?”  Well, mine is one highly recognized in the “guru” arena as well as with the “not so gurus. Ready?  “We have always done it that way!”  Oh, vomit!  No kidding.  Just think about that comment for a while.  Where would we be as a world today if we just stuck to what we knew at any stage of life no less in a growth or development mode?  We surely would have no computers, superconductors, airplanes, I-phones, laser surgery, etc.  Crazy to think about just what we would be living like today…similar to the stone ages I guess!

Innovation is our past, our present and our future.  Without it we stagnate, and stagnation leads to “death.”  So, why is it we hear those 7 dastardly words out of mouths from time to time?  I suggest it originates with mindsets, all very problematic in their own, such as the following:

1. We fight change mostly out of fear
2. We really are lazy so change typically doesn’t excite us
3. If it is not “our” idea, then we come up with some reason why not
4. The old adage:  “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

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I am sure we could go on and on with more rationale that people “buy into” in using this saying, but none that I can think of leads to anything good, no less excellence.  Let’s take fear for instance.  “The greatest mistake we make is living in fear that we will make one!”John Maxwell said that.  Fear is one of the most dangerous of emotions as it stifles us from any level of creativity or constructive action.  You’ve probably heard the acronym it was given:  False Expectations Appearing Real.  Change is our only way to a greater future so without it, we will surely stagnate or decay.  With it we have experienced incomprehensible discoveries by humankind that make everyday life even more efficient and outstanding. Fearing change is like saying I fear the sun will rise!  Change is a foregone conclusion as long as man has a mind.  Embrace it!

Laziness is in human nature…who wouldn’t like to take the month off on the beaches of ….(you get to fill in that blank).   We all have many activities we would rather be doing than work 8-10+ hours per day.  So, if we allow this damaging behavior to enter into our lives, we will most assuredly never reach the goals we have set.   But the laziness around change is more from a perspective of “change creates more work.”  Yes, the process of going through the change is typically going to cause some disruption, but the incredible conveniences once change is in place, remarkable!  We do not have to look very far to see all of our modern conveniences with computers and computerized chips that have enhanced every area of our lives as well as made things 10-100-1000 times more efficient.  So, the temporary work load or inconvenience to implement change is far outweighed by the results created thereafter!

Another negative character trait that creeps into the concept of change is the jealously factor.  When someone other than us comes up with a new idea, we tend to want to play it down…perhaps ignore the benefit of the new idea so the other person does not outshine us or get too much recognition. There are a lot of self-defeating emotions that may be triggered, some from pure competitiveness, instead of just excitement over a new possibility.  Jealousy is definitely a negative emotion as we always ought to be excited for the great accomplishments of others.  How would you want to be treated when you are making that victory lap? Hmm…

Finally, there are those who just are what we call “stuck in a rut!”  When anything new or different is suggested, the proverbial “why” comes up…why change something if it is not broken?  Well, think about it.  If we never were allowed to be creative in coming up with better ways, we still would be riding horseback across the country!  We are all given a sense of creativity allowing us to “think outside the box,” and what a blessing that has been and continues to be.  Every day in every way I look for better ways to accomplish things.  The Why?  Because I know the only true limited asset we all have is time…so anything and everything that can protect that precious time by making a process more efficient is worth whatever burden might temporarily be in store.

I hope and pray this helps you delete this 7 word phases from ever entering your mind again!