Why change is so hard?

I have been wondering why we as a society have changed so much during the Pandemic. You can feel the speed of innovation in technology, space, & biotech are increasing exponentially. In just a year or so, tables have turned. The same employers that frowned upon working remotely now exhibit remote-first or hybrid work environments with pride.

Do you ever think about why we as humans only change (and grow) only when things are so bad? Why is it difficult for us to change? It turns out it’s not.

Introducing Change Equation

In 1987, Beckhard and Harris developed the change equation to evaluate the probability of a successful and lasting change in an organization. The equation does not have any numerical values.

Suppose any of the three elements on the left D, V, or F ( Dissatisfaction, Vision, First steps) is zero. Anything multiplied by zero is zero. In that case, it won’t be greater than the resistance on the right; therefore, change will not be successful.

Like everything else in life, we as humans prefer to take the path of least resistance. Change isn’t hard for when the current level of dissatisfaction is high enough with a clear first step, middle, and end state (vision) available.

However, change is hard when it’s intentional because you have to go out of your way to convince yourself that your dissatisfaction levels are high to overcome the resistance to change.

“It’s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it” by Seneca.

How can you induce change?

Change Growth happens outside your comfort zone.

You’ve probably seen the phrase growth = change. It’s possible to change without growing, but it’s impossible to grow without changing.

One of the keys to making the right changes that allow us to grow is knowing the difference between a problem or challenge, which I can change, and a fact of life, which I cannot.