I had an interesting discussion with one of my coaching clients last week and thought I would share some of my thoughts with you 🙂
When clients are embarking on a new program with me, one of their big concerns is how long it takes to really change. My answer to this is instantly – change occurs instantly.
Now, I can guess what you’re thinking as the response I get is usually disbelief.
But, if you think about it, it’s not the ‘change’ that takes the time, it’s the ‘being ready to change’ that takes the time…..
If you decide that you want to lose weight, it may well take you ages before you actually take the step and commit to eating less, eating more healthier, not eating the rubbish….but as soon as you do those things, the ‘change’ has occurred.
Now, I’m not saying that you will lose weight instantly, of course you won’t, BUT you have made a change and that change occurs instantly. You eat less, more healthily etc: whether you can maintain that change or not is another matter, but it’s important to note that the change has occurred.
If you are driving along and decided to turn left instead of right to go a different way to your normal route, then the change (going left) occurred the instant you turned, whether it’s a better route that gets you to where you want to be any quicker is another thing, but change occurred instantly.
The fear of change for most of us isn’t the change itself, but how we perceive that change will work out, i.e how long we think it will take to achieve what we want, the cost, the time, wondering if it’s the right thing etc.
What we are actually fearing is the process on our way towards change, not the actual change.
How nice is it to know that when you decide to make that change and do it, it occurs instantly – takes some of the perceived fear away, doesn’t it?
It may well take you a while to get ready for the change, but rest assured, when you make it – it’s instantaneous.
Big changes happen really fast!
Exciting, isn’t it 🙂