Why Change Is So Hard

•  There is no way around it - you have to change in order for your life to change. If you do not change, your life will remain the same as it is now. There is a psychological cycle that you will go through with almost any change. Today, we will explore this cycle together and I will also guide you on how to make it easier. You can use this understanding to anticipate your emotional responses as you go through change. By understanding each stage in detail, you can better prepare yourself and equip yourself with tools to cope with your changing emotions. The top of the "U" represents stage one - uninformed optimism. In this stage, you are excited about change. You are positive and things seem amazing. You imagine all the benefits, but do not see any of the costs of the change. However, as the change progresses, negative emotions may start to arise and eventually, you start to see some difficulties that are coming up. As this reality sets in, the positive emotions you had before quickly turn to pessimism. The benefits can seem less real and maybe it feels like they are not even possible.

• The lowest point of the emotional cycle of change is the Valley of Despair. This is a stage where you experience the pain of change and the benefits seem too far away and unimportant. It's easy to want to give up and return to your old ways, but if you quit at stage three, you have to start at stage one again in something else. The good thing about the Valley of Despair is that you're at your lows, you're at the rock bottom of your emotional cycle of change, and now it starts to look up. We start to go back up the other side of the U which is stage four, Informed Optimism. At this stage, the possibility of success increases, and this is where you become more optimistic. The cost of change is now perceived as worth it, unlike at stage two when the cost seemed impossible. In stage three, you look back and are grateful that you pushed through. The most important thing you can do when you're in stage two is to take action every day, even if it's just a little bit towards the goal you're trying to achieve.

• The most successful people in the world don't wait until they feel motivated to take action. They take action every single day, giving themselves a chance to actually feel good.Instead of focusing on being motivated, focus on being consistent. Wake up and do what needs to be done, regardless of how you feel. Taking action in the direction of where you're trying to go is the most important thing you can do.As I do in every episode, I want to leave you with a reminder: make it your mission to make someone else's day better. I appreciate you, and I hope that you have an amazing day.