Today, I am posting about CHANGE and why something that should be so easy, actually is anything but, for most people.

The definition of CHANGE is this; “To make or become different“. So, now that we know the book definition of change, let me convey some of my thoughts on why it is so difficult for many.

1.) ACCEPTANCE – Everyone, regardless of what they may say and or outwardly express, wants to be accepted. People get comfortable within their “social bubble” and they worry that by changing, they will no longer be accepted by this said bubble. They have a fear of being an outcast or no longer capable of fitting in to the status quo of that particular group in which they seek acceptance.

2.) FEAR OF UNCERTAINTY – This is the big one, particularly for you runners out there. People tend to fear what they do not know how to combat. By nature, we as animals are creatures of habit. We get caught up in our safe havens and we are scared to branch out to see what lies beyond. We tend to eat the same things, drive the same routes to and from a location, get stuck in the same routine. As a runner, we constantly want to stick to a certain pace, a certain course, a certain time of day, etc. Do not get me wrong here, consistency is a good thing too, however, consistency will eventually lead to complacency and, complacency leads to plateauing and, plateauing leads to mediocrity.

3.) FAILURE – Most people are scared to FAIL!! It’s that simple. When you look at something new, be it a new training plan, a new job, a new diet, etc, etc., the initial thought is “CAN I DO THIS?” We get very comfortable in our routine and what we do on a regular basis, especially if that routine yields an above average result. Take a new training plan for instance. Regardless of how much success a particular training plan might have amongst one’s peers, the first thought is “Well what if it doesn’t work?”….”what if I regress”. Rather than being optimistic, the first thought is to be pessimistic.

4.) SETTLING – Once we get to a point and once we achieve that initial success, we settle. We settle with relationships, we settle with careers, we settle with diets, we settle with our lives and, everything in between. “This isn’t my dream job but, it pays the bills”. “This isn’t my ideal weight but, it’s way to much effort to lose the weight”. “I am not seeing any further improvements in my training but, I am not regressing so that’s good”. Whatever it is you are settling for, understand that there is always more out there to achieve. This is not to say that you don’t have a great life and that you aren’t happy with your life. This is just to say that, an additional rainbow or two or, an extra cherry on top, never hurt anyone.

So, with that to ponder, get out there and make some changes. Make the move to give up your Diet Coke. Make the change to add in some strength work instead of some junk miles. Wake up a half hour early and use that time to do something worth while.

Change doesn’t have to be drastic. A little here and a little there can add a whole lot of spice and flavor to your life.

Don’t be that person who is finishing out their life, only to wish they had made a change all those years ago. The time is now, make it happen!