Motivation to change, why is it so hard?
Author: Lynne Dean

We encounter constant changes throughout our life; it could be educational, health, relationships or financial, and of course with oneself. Maintaining or increasing one’s sense of self-worth and happiness are strong incentives for these changes.

Too often trials and errors affect our self-esteem and therefore hinder true engagement in learning and changing. It’s very comforting to have a routine, and very frightening to go forward to the unknown. Its takes courage and determination. This is nothing new. You have done it before, perhaps not deliberately but you have gone through many changes during your life.

Change is stressful. No doubt about it. Why not make it as stressless as possible? Try to consider the following:

Uderstand the intentions, motivations, and desires of your new endeavours. Acknowledge the strengths and constraint it will bring. Allow yourself to take risks and not to take any fall back personally. Remember trials and errors are part of learning and being alive.

Compel to understand, to appreciate one’s feelings, fears and motivations; be sure to use such information to better your life. Use this information to guide your thinking and action.

Let go of negative thoughts, integrate new ideas with what you already know and use the new information to move forward. Be flexible, allow for new and different ways to achieve your goal, it might bring you different opportunities at the end. Why not supply yourself with options. Have some contingencies as backup plans, it will calm down this feeling of vulnerability.

Unfortunately too often as adults we want to do everything ourselves…mistakes. We are not alone; tons of people have been through changes, often similar to ours; seek and accept support from others. They experienced it, they might know something you haven’t’ thought about. Give it a try.

Don’t disown your future, own it. You make your life, take it as a movie set if you like; you are the director, the main actor and the editor. How do you want the story to ensue?

Ask yourself those fundamental questions:

What am I like?

What do I want to be like?

What are my strengths?

What are my weaknesses?

What do I need?

What do I want?

Who could help me?

Want is my plan?



Know that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Now is an opportunity to reflect and act upon those thoughts. Changing is a means to an end, not an end in itself.


Making Positive Changes

Instead of saying "I don't know"
Say "I'll find out".
Instead of seeing a problem for every answer,
Try seeing an answer for every problem
Instead of saying "That's not my job",
See what has to be done and do it.
Instead of; making promises,
Make commitments
Instead of looking at what can't be done,
Look at what can be done
When a mistake is made, instead of saying "It wasn't my fault"
Say "I was wrong".
Instead of side-stepping most issues,
Try making decisions
Instead of saying "I'm not as bad as a lot of others",
Say "I'm good, but not as good as I can be".
Instead of saying "That's the way it has always been done",
Say "There ought to be a better way".
Instead of saying "It may be possible, but it's too difficult",
Say "It may be difficult but it's not impossible".
Taken from "Positive Works" from Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development







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Lynne Dean created Motivational Central, an online information service for seekers of general self improvement, in January 2005.

Being a simple government part time worker and mother to a lovely son, she welcome the challenged to communicate and built a web site where positive vibes and motivation tips would be share to the world. A hobby it is, but what a fun and interesting thing to do!

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