Why It’s Never Too Late to Change

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Most people hate change. Some find it stressful, some are scared out of their wits by it, many resist it, few embrace it.

Change doesn’t just move people out of their comfort zone – it gives them the kind of shove. But comfort zones aren’t conducive to growth. Sometimes you just have to get uncomfortable on purpose if you want to move forward.

It’s an inescapable truth (if unpalatable for some) that change is the only constant. Stubbornly hanging on to “the way we’ve always done things” propels you in an entirely different direction – backwards.

When we’re not happy with something about ourselves or in our lives, we fill up our heads with “I wishes”, “If onlys”, “Why can’ts” and “I shoulds” that tend to keep us stuck instead of galvanizing us into action.

Think about the significant things you’d like to change like…

1. YOUR PATH – It’s never too late to embark on a new journey. Just because you’ve spent a lot of time doing one thing, doesn’t mean you have to keep on doing it forever. If it doesn’t inspire, excite and fulfill you any more, there’s no payoff in that.

2. YOUR SELF-IMAGE – It’s never too late to change gears and reinvent yourself. Don’t let yourself be limited by labels, whether inflicted by others or those you stick on yourself. Once a “loser”, not always a “loser” – who said that you were one in the first place? Name-calling, negative labeling and self-talk don’t succeed in motivating us to improve, they just suck all the goodness and drive out of life.

3. YOUR MIND – It’s never too late to change the way you think about something. Our mindset and attitudes can have a powerful influence over how we respond to ourselves, others and things that happen at work, home and socially. Changing your mind can improve your wellbeing, relationships and life. Start by being prepared to change some long-held beliefs, give others the benefit of the doubt, don’t over-think things and don’t pre-judge.

4. YOUR LIFESTYLE – It’s never too late to change our health and wellbeing, at any stage of life. Let’s be clear on this, I’m not talking about material things here, they’re not what matters most. Enjoying a healthier, happier lifestyle is achievable if you take the trouble to manage the risk factors. It’s never too late to eat better, exercise more, quit smoking, lose weight or discover enjoyable ways to reduce stress.

5. YOUR LIFE – It’s never too late to change your life. You can’t undo the past, but you can look forward and move forward into your future and mould it into something special that works for you. Say to yourself “Dear Past thank you for all the lessons, dear Future – I’m ready!”.

Admittedly some things are harder to change than others, and even when you’re willing to make the change circumstances, events and life can seem to conspire to sabotage your best plans and intentions.

Even if you don’t have the youth, the budget, the looks, the house, the significant other, the time, the talent, the qualifications, or the courage – whatever it is that you believe you need to make the changes you want – you can still make incremental changes towards positive improvement.

Monumental change can be a bit hard to handle, not to mention overly ambitious and difficult to pull off. Nice as it would be to able to Dial-a-Good-Fairy and have her wave her magic wand, sprinkle a bit of pixie dust and get that perfect body, McMansion or jet setting lifestyle in an instant – where’s the fun in that? We don’t value anything that’s too easy to come by. Why do you think so many lottery winners end up right back where they started on the bones of their butt because they’ve successfully managed to fritter it all away?

One small step at time in order of importance, that’s the way to do it. And who knows? As little things start to change, your perspective can change too. You don’t like something, do something to change it – because that’s living.

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