Good Pain or Bad Pain?

If you’re like me, you probably think to yourself on a daily basis “OMG, this is such a pain…” I’m admittedly very impatient and I can get frustrated easily. I like to think that it’s coming from a good place; after all, I just want things to be as good and easy as possible. Doing things differently though means change, and change itself is a different kind of pain. Think of this the way athletes do – there’s good pain (building muscles, stretching your limits, and getting better) and there’s bad pain (straining muscles, breaking bones, and injury keeping you out of the game). Knowing the difference helps you be aware, and focus on improving.

Study after study has shown that people naturally resist change. Change is tough. It represents pain – sometimes lots of it. Just ask anybody who’s recently moved, started a new job, gone through a breakup, or lost a loved one. Sometimes it’s beyond our control, but often it’s a choice. So why then do we put ourselves through these kinds of pain?

Tony Robbins totally gets it with this simple but profound quote.  Eventually, people reach a breaking point, and they’ve had enough.  It’s time to make a change.  It’s fitting that this post is being published on New Year’s Day – the most popular time to commit to change!  The problem is that too many people are so numbed to the pain that they don’t even realize it’s happening.  They’d rather power through it than think about how to make it better.  I am thankful that my favorite professor in my favorite class in college taught us to look for change opportunities – and not be satisfied doing things just because they have always been done that way.

This simple mindset – which really just boils down to having an awareness of what you’re doing – has done wonders for me in my career.  I write a lot of things down so I can think through them when I have time.  That’s half the battle – write down the pain as you’re going through it, and maybe you’re less likely to repeat it.  I set aside time to think through things I want to improve.  Usually for me this means automating something, but it could be much more basic.  I take an analytical approach by estimating how much time it will take to change something and what the payback period is.  If it’s less than a year, I jump on it pretty quickly.  If it’s more than a year, I file it away for later.  This approach has been helpful for me in setting priorities.

Why change represents pain

I’ve noticed several reasons why change is painful and I feel like it’s helpful to be aware of them.

• People often feel like they don’t have time to change.  I’d argue the opposite – you don’t have time not to change.  Doing things the same way they’ve always been done is often not sustainable.  The world is changing rapidly, and you need to be prepared to change with it or risk being left behind.  Ask for help, and don’t settle for being miserable!
• The prospect of change causes us to act more emotionally and impulsively rather than rationally.  Feelings of skepticism, fear, and anxiety often overpower the ability to rationally consider the benefits – why the change is even happening in the first place.
• Change represents new thoughts and stimuli to the brain, which can drain your energy very quickly.  If you’ve ever presented or taught a complex topic, you know what I’m talking about – it’s exhausting when you have to think on your feet for an extended period of time!
• Our brains have inherent negativity biases as a part of natural survival instincts, so perceived negative thoughts tend to distract us, take over, and spread.  Realizing this helps you redirect natural negative thoughts to focus on positive thoughts.

What we can do about it

Even with the challenges that change can bring, there are many ways we can set ourselves up for success.  From the organizational perspective, here are a few:

• Foster a culture of change.  Proactively addressing change and showing how it has historically led to success can do wonders.  By identifying threats before they occur, people are less likely to shut down when they do happen.  Think about companies that resisted change (Radio Shack, Toys R Us, and Blockbuster) and are now defunct compared to companies that embrace change (Apple, Netflix, and Amazon) and are killing it.  That’s not an accident!
• Foster a culture of transparency.  What’s better – letting them know what’s going on (at least the important aspects) or letting gossip and assumptions rule conversations?  Treat employees with the maturity and respect they deserve and they will be very appreciative.  You’ll have a better handle on the conversation.
• Foster a culture of collaboration and accountability.  Let employees help plan for aspects of the project that they’ll be involved with.  That ownership will alleviate the fear and focus them on the positive objectives.  They’ll likely have great insights that weren’t already considered!

Other thoughts

Here are some other thoughts about change and having a mindset of continuous improvement, more from an individual perspective:

• Small improvements can still make a big difference.  They add up and it’s motivating to see some progress.  Just like the quote above says, getting better doesn’t mean it has to be perfect!
• Think long-term – that upfront investment will often save you a lot of time in the long run.  You might get a little behind in the short-term, but think about how quickly you could catch up and free up even more time over the long haul.  Think of that upfront investment as an opportunity instead of an obstacle!
• Change itself often represents opportunity.  It allows you to work on strategic initiatives and often make a big difference.