Change is Inconvenient

This is something that has been coming up with a few of my clients - there is never going to be a perfect time to make a change. We like to think that there will be this perfect time and then we will be able to make a change easily and seamlessly. But the truth is much different. Change will always be a little difficult and a little inconvenient, especially at the beginning, and even when we are making a change that is for the better.

Humans do not like change. Change is uncertain and our brains are designed to keep us in comfortable certainty. Your current habits support your current life and changing those current habits requires some discomfort and getting used to. Even making a change that will improve our lives can be difficult and will most likely be met with some resistance. So we search and wait for that perfect time when we will finally workout, eat healthy, reduce stress, sleep better, and on and on. But to make the change you want, it will probably always be a little inconvenient.

You will have to change what you are currently doing in order to get a different result. You may have to wake up a little earlier, go to the gym instead of happy hour, turn off your phone and go to bed earlier, or take time to go grocery shopping for the week. These might feel like big changes at the beginning, but once you have done it for a couple of weeks, it will begin to become your new normal. 

Now there are certainly times that might be a little better or a little worse. I would never suggest that someone implement new healthy eating habits right before they take a vacation to Italy, or try to start meditating daily for 20 minutes when they are in the middle of a move. But otherwise, the best time to start is now. So release the need to find a perfect time to implement a change, recognize that change will always be a little inconvenient, and get started!