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And so the old cliche - change is hard, one step forward, two steps back. That is pretty much how it feels to be IN the change cycle.
I still don't get why it is such a challenge to keep moving forward. The change experts talk about creating the momentum, creating baby steps, getting support, creating alliances, creating sense of urgency, and on it goes.
I think though that is much more complicated than that OR it's much more simpler - not sure which one it is. Even with all of those factors working for change it is STILL hard to sustain change. Loose 1 lb gain 2, stop smoking, increase eating, start excercising, stop...just some examples of the change cycle. At some point the curve of change shifts and the restistance kicks on - the status quo quotient is so strong like the pull of the moon on the waves, that things cave in. So is there any hope in sustainment?? That's the real quest that needs to be sought in defining successful change process.
I don't have the answer - but do want to explore. Is sustainment tied to motivation, effort/commitment, level of support, or something else. Are the sustainment of change factors for personal change the same/different than those for organizations? Why do we revert back to old habits when we know that they do not serve us and actually hinder us in moving forward? Is it something at a molecular level, genetic level that keeps us static - is it a survival tactic of preservation of the status quo? Too many questions and not enough answers.
On a global level personal change, societal change, change etc... there is massive amounf of literature on the why and how of change - but again much is lacking on sustainment.
If I establish goals, commit to steps to implement those goals, why isn't it enough? Life gets in the way, commitment fades and old behavious takes over. Literature is out there that says it takes 21 days to break a habit - but I know that I can stick to a progam for 21 days and then slowly find myself back into the old bad habits..so I actually DON'T believe that magically after 21 days the transformation is complete.
We are creatures of habit, old familiar routines make us feel in control and we hold on to our habits as though they are our security blankets sheltering us. At what point do new habits become familiar and engrained in us that we totally wipe out all memory and possibility of reverting back?
Is it an internal balance that if we remove something we need to add something to replace what has been taken away? Is it like a computer hard drive - where when we erase something - it still lingers and only reformating the hard drive gets rid of it? We need to sort out how to reformat ourselves to erase the bad habits so that we make room for the new habits to live in!
These are just some of the questions that I would like to explore...stay tuned..
Suz
