I was in my class on “Leading Change” last week and an interesting discussion came up. We heard talks and discussed how people are naturally drawn to stability and comfort. How when we reach a certain place, we become complacent and continue with life, work, family, friends, as is. We are meeting the status quo and we like it there.
As you may have guessed, the discussion was about how in many cases this leads to being stifled, not growing and not meeting your full potential. It was a negative thing in these discussions to be in your comfort zone. This, I find an interesting concept.
Growing up, we were always moving, always on the road, always in a new house or apartment, there were very few constants. I grew up in a world where change was the norm. Not ever having put this together until last week, I realized that this is probably the reason I seem to be the opposite of most people who are comfortable with stability. I tend to grow increasingly uncomfortable the more stable I am or the more linear things become. I am addicted to change.
This is probably why I have changed industries 4 times, changed apartments or houses 5 times, have become a consultant, have climbed the American Marketing Association (AMA) ladder to President Elect, and have started grad school to get my MBA all in the 6 years since I have graduated university with my undergraduate.
Many people I meet learn all of the things I am involved in and do on a daily basis and basically call me crazy, but to me, this fast-paced ever-changing lifestyle is normal. BUT, when is it too much? When is always being on the go and trying to grow and change a bad thing? Is it ever a bad thing?
I believe, to my own shock and dismay, yes it probably is. Like anything in life, we need balance. I was getting overwhelmed a couple weeks ago. We had 3 people quit the AMA board the same week and I was picking up the slack while working full-time, consulting, going to school, trying to work out, trying to lose weight, trying to eat healthy, and trying to be a good wife, friend, daughter and sister. I was worn out.
This discussion in my class about not being afraid of change actually made me realize I don’t have to be afraid of some things remaining static. I don’t have to change everything all the time. If I have a long day and get home exhausted, maybe it isn’t the end of the world if I order Thai food instead of making a healthy homemade meal. If I got to bed late the night before because I was reading for class or had a work call that ran late, maybe it isn’t the end of the world to hit the snooze button and not go to the gym. In this ever-changing world, we can all cut ourselves some slack sometimes and just realize we can’t be superwoman all the time.
So, my new attitude is to adjust my lens a little. Change what I can when I want, grow where I can, but don’t stress the small stuff that falls through the cracks. I can only try my best, I will not be at my peak in every area of my life all the time. Here’s to constantly learning, growing and changing, and learning we don’t have to constantly change everything!