Most people find change difficult. Change involves doing things differently. It necessitates moving from a known, familiar pattern to an unknown, unfamiliar pattern. For those of you who have read my blog or my book, The Educated Franchisee, you know that the ‘Unknown’ is the primary driver of fear and anxiety. So, if change is uncomfortable, creates fear and risk, why would we ever change? Change is driven by two things. The first is Desire, but the most common is Dislocation.
Let’s discuss dislocation. A dislocation is defined as a ‘disturbance from the proper, original or usual place or state’. Dislocations are change and change creates instability. Unstable environments create a degree of pain and pain drives people to consider change. Examples. When a governmental system is stable, nothing changes. However, create instability within a governmental system and new futures become possible. Same with relationships. If everyone is getting along, nothing changes. If there is discord in the relationship, there is a higher likelihood of change. Same with jobs. So long as you are content going to the same job every day and do the same thing, very little will change. If your job becomes unstable and you think you will be ‘downsized’ or ‘relocated’ or ‘reassigned’, you will begin looking for a new job or start a business.
Today, the temporary dislocation we are all dealing with is Covid. Covid has given us a wonderful opportunity to make a change. This dislocation has affected every part of our life and nobody is sure where everything will settle. There will be a ‘new normal’, but nobody knows what this ‘new normal’ will look like. This is your chance to create the future you want. If you currently own a business and you want to change the thinking of your employees, now is the time to create a new normal for customer service. If you are working every weekend and want more time to attend kids’ events, now is the time to talk to your boss. If you want to start a business on the side, now is the time to lobby for more flexibility. Covid has opened a door for us to create a better future. Are you ready?
In closing, a couple of my favorite sayings for you –
“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.”
Leo Buscaglia (1924 – 1998) American Author & Professor.
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.”
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
Helen Keller (1880 – 1968) Deaf and Blind American Author, Activist and Lecturer
