Uncomfortable

“A single opinion is comfortable. Comfort is hostile to change. Progress is uncomfortable because it changes the comfort.” Thomas Vato

Life can be complicated at times with relationships or connections, whether at work or in our private life.  Learning to navigate the discomfort can be challenging and awkward.

Comfort can change so quickly, whether a new person in the office which changes the dynamics and/or the home.  Learning to adjust to the changes takes time and a little effort for everyone involved.

Remember being the “new person’ at work, having to learn about the organisation and the role you have been employed for?  This takes time to work through the nuances and getting to know the individuals and the organisation as a whole.  Working in a larger organisation, there a cultural difference within the different clusters/departments.  This would also require adjustments should you transfer from one department to another.  Life is always full of change, and we often forget that we are in a constant flux of change.

This led me to thinking why are we humans, so opposed to change if it is always around us?  Is it when we don’t feel that we “like” this change, or is it that we didn’t have a say in it?  Change is often forced on us in a working environment, is it because we feel out of control?

As humans, our biggest learning opportunities happen when we are in the uncomfortable zone.  New concepts are uncomfortable and hard to describe and learn.  Learning is awkward, clunky and difficult.  Progress is not always linear, and we often go forward and backwards as we learn and adapt to this new way of working.  It can also be frustrating as we revert to our old ways of working despite this new information.

I challenge you to reflect when finding yourself opposed to change in your life.  Dig deeper and see if there is an underlying issue that is getting you “stuck” and/or dragging your feet.  What is the underlying emotion?  What would help you look at this differently?  Can you separate that emotion from the person, in order to make the change more palatable? 

Sometimes, looking at issues from a different perspective – opens up opportunities for change management that is much more comfortable.

Note: the photo is of my bonsai which has been wired to change its shape, wire will be removed in three months.