I read an interview this morning on Linda Samuels’s blog The Other Side of Organized with Judith Kolberg. I’m proud to say that both these wonderful women are colleagues as well as friends of mine! Linda interviewed Judith about change and why some people make the effort to change. It is a wonderful interview and I encourage you to visit Linda’s blog and read it.
I wanted to keep this topic of change going and talk about how to change and what motivates people to change.
First, let me say that change is never easy. It’s much more comforatble to continue doing what you’re doing. Change requires a concerted and obvious effort. To change you need to know exactly what you want to change and then be deliberate about effecting that change in your behavior.
So, if it’s not easy why change? Sometimes we want to change because our behavior is impacting the way we live, our relationships, our health, or our quality of life.
Here are a few steps to take to create change:
1. Identify One and only One behaior you want to change
2. Replace that behavior with a different one
3. Make a few signs (large ones) to remind you of the new behavior
4. Reward yourself when you are succesful
5. Do not punish yourself when you goof – just admit that you’ve goofed and try again!
When you have succesfully replaced the behavior you want to change with a new one then go ahead and identify another behavior to change. Remember that change is challenging so trying to change too many things at one time is not a recipe for success. Change one behavior at a time, building on each accomplishment.