Why is change so hard to achieve when there is such a wealth of information at our fingertips?
Writing for Fast Company, Stephanie Vozza observes that the problem isn’t gathering knowledge needed to make the change; it’s putting the information into action.
The author quotes Chris Majer, founder and CEO of The Human Potential Project, who says: “Change can only take place through practice, patience, and perseverance.”
Using Majer’s book The Power to Transform: Passion, Power, and Purpose in Daily Life as a guide, Vozza shares seven potential pitfalls to change and how to overcome them:
1) Blindness to your blind spots. Actively seek new perspectives, opinions and insights.
2) The desire to be comfortable. Comfort and change are mutually exclusive, says Majer.
3) Confusing opinions with learning. Rather than deciding whether or not you like an idea, ask yourself, where’s the power in this for me?
4) The desire for instant gratification. Commit to enduring practices for change.
5) Thinking, not doing. “Developing new skills takes practice in real time with real people with real impacts and personal risk,” says Majer.
6) The drive for novelty. You can’t chase after every new idea. Authentic competence is built over time, so stick at one process.
7) The belief that change is private. Hire a coach or use a structured process, says Majer.