Change is a disruption, and disruption is good. In today's changing world, it's necessary.

Goals not being achieved. Resolutions not being met. Life not being fulfilled. As we close in on year's end, many will question if what they're doing is moving them in the right direction, their desired direction.

Questions will come about whether it's time to make changes, time to implement changes. Yet, as is typically the case for most, procrastination sets in. Doubt, as well.

It brings about the real question that should be addressed... Are you prepared to bring change into your life, into your career, into your business?

But first, let's take a deeper dive into the premise of change in order to gain a better understanding of what motivates change and why change is necessary.

So, what does it mean to change?

verb: replace (something) with something else, especially something of the same kind that is newer or better; substitute one thing for (another).

noun: the act or instance of making or becoming different.

That said, what motivates change?

"Change happens only when the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of changing." - Dr. Tom Hill

A key to success is to learn from mistakes. Although the mistakes may not have been intentional, they’re real, nonetheless. That means change may be necessary as the result of mistakes.

Unfortunately, even when lessons are learned, the negative results attained by poor choices and ill-fated decisions sometimes take a long time from which to completely recover. These issues often have to be worked through, driven by a firm commitment to reverse course. Sure, it’d be so much easier if a quick change in direction allowed for full recovery but it’s typically not that simple.

So, if moving in the wrong direction, it’s essential to implement a strategy (change) to get back on course and then stay on track until desired results are achieved. To that end, personal accountability as well as accepting personal responsibility must be part of the equation. Doing so increases the possibility, if not the probability of desired results.

Are you confused yet? Is change an action, or is it a mindset?

Regardless, if there is a new normal today, it's change... but is it enough or just lip service?

Let's look at change from a business owner's perspective.

Changes being implemented over the past two years to survive through the pandemic continue to be necessary through to full recovery. Most likely, change will be key to future success as customers and clients have become accustomed to the changes and look for them to continue even if it means the changes are to run alongside what was once considered standard operations.

For example, think about the pandemic-motivated focus on take-out & delivery in the restaurant industry. Seemingly front and center, customers expect the new approaches to take-out and delivery to continue and will consider it as a standard for restaurants today.

Actually, if embraced and committed to by restaurant operators, it will help restaurants to thrive... provided processes are perfected and improvements are made along the way, as opposed to efforts being considered a temporary or secondary solution for the times.?

So, what was once considered standard has actually changed. The standard has been disrupted albeit with disruption being a positive approach, not negative.

"Change is inevitable, and the disruption it causes often brings both inconvenience AND opportunity." - Robert Scoble

That means a change in direction, a change in thinking about the next steps beyond what motivated change must be considered the norm.

In a world of constant change, non-adaptive behavior is a killer problem while disruptive behavior, going against the grain, questioning the status quo, and thinking outside the box is actually survival behavior.

The bottom line... Don't be afraid of change. Embrace it, for change is good. Change is refreshing. Change is a disruption, and disruption is good. In today's changing world, it's necessary.

"Think big; think disruptive. Execute with full passion." - Masayoshi Son

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!