Cal Wilson / August 2, 2023

Resisting change is human nature – or is it?

Sometimes change is exhilarating. Sometimes change is petrifying. Whether you love and seek out regular change, or you are put-off by it, it’s important to understand why it has the effect that it does on us.

In this article, we take a look at the psychology of change, and how it might be impacting you.

Good Change Versus Bad Change

No matter how we feel about change, there’s objectively both good and bad types.

For example, embracing change in our professional and personal lives can lead to innovation, learning new skills, creating new opportunities, preventing stagnation, and other tangible benefits. In fact, obtaining an edge, or improving our lives, necessitates change – it’s essential. Alternatively, we stay where we are now.

However, some changes, like a global crisis such as a pandemic, or the loss of a loved one, have a negative impact on our lives.

Human beings tend to enjoy and pursue the types of change we consciously control. Think about a decision like renovating a room in your home. Sure, it brings stress and expense; but since you’re the agent of change in this decision, it tends to be the kind of change-making we gravitate towards.

When we aren’t the agents of change, we tend to react less favorably. If that home renovation becomes necessary due to an unexpected flood, for example, you might not be so happy about it. Even if the result is the same.

Whether or not we can control a change in our lives, change is going to happen. It’s inevitable. Determining how we can control more of it helps establish the direction we seek.

Resistance to Change

We’ve all heard that people resist change. It’s often stated as a simple fact of life in a sort of callous or dismissive manner. However, it’s false. Otherwise, we would never have children. Billions and billions of people, over centuries of time, have chosen to take on the drastic change in their lives by bringing children into the equation. Could there be a bigger change in life? Yet, we do it willingly.

So, the conclusion must be that people don’t resist or fear change itself. We like comfort and want to be in control of the change. More control, more comfort, easier to change. Not an easy equation to grab by the ears, and yet it is fairly straight forward.

In their book, ‘Switch’, Chip and Dan Heath allude to the logical and emotional side of change. They call it the ‘elephant’, our emotions that control most things, and the ‘rider’, our rational self trying to control the elephant.  They state that to institute change, three elements must be addressed. It must make sense to the logical side, but maybe more importantly, it must move the elephant, the emotional side as well. In addition, a path for success or achievement must be shaped so that the change can indeed be instituted.

Whether you are trying to manage a change for yourself, or you are trying to manage change for someone else, you must ponder how to address, or fulfill, each of these three elements. The Heath brothers call it ‘Direct the Rider, Motivate the Elephant, and Shape the Path’.

In a parable about mice and cheddar, Spencer Johnson’s book ‘Who Moved My Cheese’, illustrates that the mice who figured out that the cheese was somewhere else and not the normal spot, motivated themselves to pursue the new location, and made a plan to get there, filled their bellies.

Common Resistors

As we’ve established, people like to be in control of their change. But what about people hesitating to make a change they can control? There are a number of reasons why people resist choosing change:

• The status quo is more comfortable.
• Underdeveloped coping skills.
• Fixation on a part of the change that’s not in control.
• The discomfort brought on by change is often perceived as unfair, rather than as a catalyst for growth.
• The justification feeling of ‘no need to change’.
• A perceived lack of security.
• Peer pressure – the ‘naysayers’ rule.
• Fear of failure.

If you look at each of these resistors closely you will see that either the logical or emotional side has not been satisfied related to the change being contemplated, or there is no clear path established.

In a book called ‘The Power of Habit’, Charles Duhigg discusses in great depth, the things that we become comfortable with that become habits and do not require us to engage our ‘resource restricted’ decision making process.  It’s when we are presented with changes, or choices, that those resources are used up, and sometimes we just run out of gas. Our decision-making resources are depleted and change is stymied. The bigger the change, the more resources are required, the easier it is to run out of gas.

Understanding that concept and its effect on you – and recognizing that it is what is happening – can be enlightening. It can also be motivating to get the job done. Getting the job done means making the decision, yay or nay, with clarity and conviction, and ultimately driving change for the betterment of our lives. Understanding that these mental resources are being used up, and more rapidly for bigger changes, can provide the ability to realize that just because you can’t get to that point to make the decision to change, doesn’t mean that you can’t plan the decision-making process with precise smaller steps to ultimately get to that very decision point.

Improving Response to Change

If you’re in the majority of people who are, or have been, at some point, resistant to change, don’t feel bad. The uncomfortable feeling that accompanies change is a fairly common psychological response built into all of us.

In fact, it’s normal for us to perceive change as a ‘psychological threat’ – or an environmental challenge to our safety or integrity. Our natural instinct is to protect ourselves. So, what can we do to help us implement changes that will benefit us?

In the event of that visceral reaction to change, a rational appraisal of the situation and of yourself, is the best tool you can use to overcome your discomfort, and then determine whether or not reacting with only emotions or feelings might prevent a great opportunity.

On the other hand, the rational side can analyze you into the ground so you can’t move (analysis-paralysis). We need the emotional side too, including the vision for the future, the pursuit of dreams, the fulfillment of success, the picture we can create for ourselves. We need that energy.

Sometimes, if we can see a series of smaller steps along the way to achieving the change, it will help to get where us where we need to go. That’s shaping the path. When logic and emotion work together, change can be achieved more easily. Put another way, when the elephant and the rider work together down a clear path, that’s where achievement lies.

Exhausting Our Resources

There is another significant issue that comes into play when contemplating considerable change. Our ability to choose, is an exhaustible resource, as mentioned above. When given too many choices, we tend not to choose at all. There is study after study backing up this supposition.

In one study by physician, Donald Redelmeier and psychologist, Eldar Shafir, they found that when doctors were given a choice between recommending surgery or one medication, 47% chose the less invasive medication. When they had the choice between the same surgery, or two different medications, only 28% chose either medication. That’s an astounding result.

It’s called decision paralysis and it happens because we only have the capacity for so much choosing. In this case, even three choices were overwhelming as compared to two options.

The lesson here is to eliminate options as quickly as possible so you can really assess your very best alternatives. The likelihood of moving forward with life-improving changes is much higher when you have two choices versus more. That seems counter-intuitive, but science proves it to be true time-and-time again.

Adapting to Change

There’s no avoiding change in your professional life. After all, today’s business world frequently encounters changing market trends, changing career options, changing bosses, new technological advancements, corporate burnout, and other global challenges.  However, too many professionals still resist change or try to slow it down.

Adapting to change and making necessary changes is important to displaying leadership, developing skills, achieving dreams, and advancing career.

Professionals who embrace change, rather than resist it, have the following advantages:

• Adaptivity in the face of the future.
• More opportunities.
• More chances to build resilience.
• Paths to personal and professional fulfillment.

Maybe there’s an opportunity in your life to make a significant change. Whatever it is, the lesson is to assess the opportunity rationally (Direct the Rider) engage the energy (Motivate the Elephant) and envision the future, and plot the direction to the opportunity (Shape the Path).

Just maybe it’s your new baby, or it’s your cheese, or it’s just your best chance to direct your life towards your own goals, dreams, and desires.

Cal Wilson / June 19, 2023

Self-doubt is a huge obstacle many face in their entrepreneurship journey. It can prevent us from taking important steps forward, impact performance, and can even negatively affect the way others view us. While a degree of self-doubt and insecurity is a part of being human, letting it hold you back from success helps no one.

What is self-doubt and where does it come from?

Doubt is a lack of trust, certainty, or conviction; in the case of self-doubt, that’s directed inward. Even if, on some level, you’re aware of your skills and assets, there’s an underlying nagging sense that you’re not going to succeed or you can’t accomplish your goals.

There are many potential culprits behind a person’s self-doubt:

• Negative self-talk – even if it seems in jest, putting yourself down and focusing on your weaknesses can have a long-term impact on your confidence.
• Past experiences – our brains pay more attention to negative experiences, like failures, than positive ones, like when things go smoothly.
• Comparison to others.
• Perfectionism – holding yourself to impossible standards makes achievable goals seem out of reach.

There are a lot of reasons why a person might be generally insecure,  but when it comes to someone’s career, these factors are certainly counterproductive.

How is self-doubt holding you back?

On top of it being simply unpleasant, there are a lot of ways self-doubt is holding you back when it comes to business. Here are just a handful of the consequences to self-doubt in business:

• Reduced capacity for logical decision making, causing indecision, second-guessing, and potentially even missed opportunities.
• Increased anxiety and stress.
• Decreased confidence and self-esteem.
• Hindered personal growth, due to fear of taking risks, trying new things, and having experiences outside your comfort zone.
• Increased strain on personal and professional relationships.

All these facets are incredibly important to business success. Sharp, rational decision making is a crucial skill for any entrepreneur. Confidence and self-esteem are often needed to make successful pitches or stay afloat during hard times, while increased anxiety and stress can lead to the opposite. Personal growth is tantamount to growing your career and business, and fostering strong relationships is also critical in that process.

All of this to say, to thrive, you need to find a way to combat self-doubt.

First, identify the source of your self-doubt.

If you’re caught in a loop of self-doubt – maybe it’s about going into business, or maybe it’s anxiety before a pitch to a prospect – you have to stop and identify the source.

Are you focusing on a similar time in the past that went poorly? Do you not have enough information to move forward comfortably? Are you, in general, paralyzed by a fear of failure? All of these may be valid concerns – but can be addressed productively to move forward.

Arm yourself with information.

If the issue is that you just don’t feel like you have enough details to comfortably move forward in a given business scenario, then combat your doubt with information as your weapon.

Educate yourself on any relevant topics, seek details and clarifications, and answer any questions you might have that could contribute to your self-doubt.

There is always a risk of ‘paralysis by analysis’ so do identify that line if you can, where more information is valuable, or just your way of feeding your self-doubt. That’s not an easy task, but an imperative one.

Don’t dwell on negative memories.

Easier said than done, right? Well, chances are, if you were able to remember everything neutrally, there would be a higher number of times when things went well compared to when things went poorly. While our brains are easily drawn to the bad, if you take the time to list all the times things went well, where you succeeded and achieved your goals, you’ll find confidence comes a bit more naturally.

Take the leap.

If you’re stuck in the limbo of self-doubt and indecision, rip off the band-aid. Break the anxious thought loop and do what needs to be done. You can’t be successful without taking a risk.

Seek support where it is helpful, and not a crutch.

Dealing with self-doubt is a universal human experience. Chances are there are other people in your circle who have experienced the same thing. Whether it be a close friend, a family member, a peer, or a colleague you can trust, opening up and talking about your self-doubt can be the first step in resolving it.

The important thing to remember is to choose people who will be honest with you about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as challenge you to take those next steps and get outside your comfort zone, not hold you back. The world is full of naysayers, so take care here to consider opinions but trust yourself in the end to decide what’s best for you.

In conclusion…

Falling prey to self-doubt – while a normal human experience – only holds you back when it comes to your entrepreneurship journey, or any other journey for that matter. Finding strategies to combat it will improve your confidence and decision making capacity, all while opening you up to new opportunities.

Cal Wilson / June 14, 2023

Going into business is a calculated risk. So is moving to a new city for a new job, applying for a position outside your comfort zone, or asking for a raise you believe you deserve. When considering your future career goals and entrepreneurship, planning on taking calculated risks is critically important.

Opportunities for growth.

Canadian writer and motivational speaker Robin Sharma once said, “If you’re not failing a lot, then you’re not doing very much.”

That’s because taking risks, trying new things, and experiencing small failures, is all a part of the larger journey towards success.

Taking risks opens new opportunities for professional and personal growth. Any time we do something that puts us outside our comfort zone, we open ourselves up to acquiring new skills and valuable learning experiences, all of which increase our likelihood of future successes.

Failure isn’t failure unless you say it is.

Stimulating innovation and creativity.

Risks often involve trying new things, using new methods, considering new perspectives, and thinking outside your norm. This can lead to breakthroughs that inspire innovation and creativity. New approaches not only develop your own existing skillsets but could also lead to wins on professional projects.

Adversity is a terrible thing… to waste.

For example, trying a new method of completing a project or a new sales pitch may not only show you an alternative path forward to success, but can also offer valuable insights into what works for the future you want to build.

Increasing your professional visibility.

You’ve heard the expression, “fortune favors the bold?” Well, that’s because boldness and taking calculated risks can get you noticed, where others may fly under the radar.

Taking risks can help you get noticed by others in your industry or organization. When you take on challenging projects or roles, you increase the likelihood of gaining visibility and recognition for your work, which can lead to increased opportunities, networking, and career advancement.

Avoiding career regret.

No one likes being left with a heap of “what ifs”. We often regret the risks we didn’t take more than the ones we did. By taking calculated risks, you are giving yourself a chance to pursue your goals and aspirations, and you are less likely to wonder later in life what could have happened if you had taken that chance.

Entrepreneurship is a risk.

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own business, the factor stopping you from getting there might be the potential risk. Risk of failure, of losing money, of not enjoying it the way you thought; these are all variables to account for. However, to be successful, you need to take those risks.  You can’t have one without the other.

There will always be risks in your professional career – some worth taking, some not. However, the biggest folly can be to resign yourself to never taking any calculated risks. There are lots of reasons why a well-planned risk will be in your favor.