Why People Don’t Change

As Helen Keller so eloquently put it, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

I remember listening to a seminar where the speaker was talking about making positive changes. He said he is often asked, “If change is easy then why don’t more people do it?” His reply, “Because it is easy not to change.”

Of course, change is not always easy, but the principles to make positive changes are usually pretty simple. For instance, most people know what they need to do to get healthier, things like eat better, alleviate stress, and exercise more. Yet studies continue to show the average person watches forty plus hours of television a week and spends very little time on goals.

An oft quoted and long standing study of goals shows only about 3% of people write down and review their goals, yet that 3% make more money than the other 97% combined.

Anthony Robbins notes, “Change is automatic, progress is optional.” We change all the time in small and large ways. Science tells us every minute in every cell of our body literally millions of chemical reactions are taking place. Change truly is the name of the game. But when it comes to making the changes we want, often the challenge and the necessary discomfort leaves people on the sidelines.

There are three steps that have been found to be the most effective in leading to positive change. The first two steps are used in many goal setting programs because they work. Study after study have shown the impact of writing down your goals as previously mentioned, but step two is less well know. The second thing to do with your goals is to publicly share them with people that will support you.

One of the reasons these two steps work so well is we are hardwired to be consistent with the identity we present. Once we tell someone what we are going to do and write it down, we are making a promise to others and to ourselves, and our subconscious will work to keep that commitment.

The third technique is to have real and immediate consequences for not following through. Since most people don’t like to watch money vanish, this is a strong driving force to keep your commitment, though you can use other means of leverage as well.

For example, if you don’t follow through on your goal, you have to pay someone $100 the next day. Then the commitment begins again, and if you don’t follow through you have to pay someone another $100. This person will know you owe them or not because you will text them to let them know if you kept your commitments. This technique works because to not change shouldn’t be easy, it should cost you something.

These simple tools will help you eliminate procrastination from your life, to live with true vision, and to live with passion.