Nothing changes if you don’t change it.

The title to this post, “Nothing changes if you don’t change it” seems so simple that it’s stupid.  In fact, it seems so stupid that it’s stupid.  You folks are smart people.  You know that what it says is basically what Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”.  But really, it’s more than that.  Yes, deeper than Einstein himself.

To put it into a perspective that everyone can relate to.  You keep getting to work just a few minutes late each day.  Not much, but just enough to be noticed.  You think to yourself, tomorrow I need to make sure I’m not late.  Your routine is the same every day.  You wake up, make yourself clean, make yourself presentable, feed yourself and make your journey to work.  Every day, the same thing.  Then tomorrow comes, and you’re late again.  You tell your coworkers “I don’t know why I’m always late, I really try to be on time.”  But do you?  Because what move or change did you make?

Einstein was right……

He was, but let’s go deeper.  How badly do you want to get to work on time?  Because by my calculations, and Einstein’s, you haven’t changed a thing.  You are relying on “hope” to make things happen for you.  You hope that today you will be on time.  What did you do to ensure that you will? And you wonder why nothing changes.

Others simply blame their tardiness on fate.  “Something” happened that caused them to be late.  That “something” happened that caused them to fail.  Or even “something” happened that caused them to not try.  Are you starting to see what the “something” is?

I get it, life is hard.  It doesn’t matter how much money you have, or the life you live, it’s never easy.

You want something. 

Maybe it’s food.  Maybe it’s the newest iPhone.  Or Maybe it’s just to get to work on time.  You are going to have to make a move, a change.  “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Yes, another boring quote, only this one is from Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher.  His point was that you can “want” and “hope” all day long.  It’s when you finally move, that you have progressed. 

I watched my daughter stress for over an hour while trying to write an essay for a scholarship.  The essay was about herself and her reasons for wanting that particular scholarship for that particular college.  There was a format that needed to be followed, but nothing crazy.  Pretty simple assignment really, as I had watched her tell friends and family for years why she wanted to go to that college, and she did it with a gleam in her eye.  But that day was different.  That day, she was trying to formulate the entire essay in her head, while conforming to the required format, all without putting even one thing down on paper.  For over an hour, she stared at the blank page and just stressed. It didn’t matter how much she cried, nothing changes.

Lao Tzu would have been pissed.

But I handled it better.  I told her to put something, anything, on paper.  To start with something basic like why she wanted to go to that college.  Anything really, because whatever she put, it was just one step in her journey, and right or wrong, she could build off of it to form exactly what she needed for her essay.  She took my advice and finished the essay, and was awarded the scholarship.  More importantly, she learned a lesson.

How many times have you hoped and dreamed about winning the lottery, but hadn’t bought a ticket?  That guy that won?  He hoped and dreamed about winning the lottery too.  The only difference is that he did go out and buy a ticket.  He made the move, and he won.

Nothing changes

My daughter’s essay, your morning routine, a lottery ticket, or anything else.  If you continue to do the same thing that you have always done, you will not progress any closer to what you want.  You need to make a change, take the step, put something down on paper.  It doesn’t matter how difficult the journey is, every step you take, removes a piece from it and puts you just that much closer.

Even movement in the wrong direction, is still progress.

You, yes you.  You have been putting something off.  Something that you want to do but haven’t had the guts to begin.  Now is your chance.  Make your move, take that step, put something on paper.  I promise you that you will be closer to it once you begin than you ever have been up until right now.  It all starts with the first step, but you have to be willing to make the change.

Dave