Transformation Change (Part 1)

“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” -Max Depree

There’s nothing wrong with wanting more in life. Wanting more doesn’t mean you are selfish, ungrateful for what you already have, or hopelessly materialistic. Wanting more doesn’t mean that you dislike who you are right now, it just means that somewhere inside, you dream of a way that things could be different, that they could be better. That is a natural part of life, a normal part of being a living thing. Just like a blade of grass wants to grow- because you are alive you want to grow as well. Perhaps that’s why people start feeling stuck in life to begin with, because they are in a position that doesn’t allow them to grow.

Change also makes people uncomfortable. They make excuses to avoid it. They say if they change, they will be less themselves. As if to be captured perfectly only in the high school yearbook being told to always stay the way they are. Yet it is only through change that growth happens. Only through change do we discover new potential and possibilities in our lives that we didn’t realize before. Only through change are we able to make life better and achieve the results we want.

Think back in your life, and all the good things that have ever happened to you. I am willing to bet those things came into your life through times of change, because it is by navigating through those changes that we realize who we really are. Those changes didn’t happen to everyone else, they happened to you- and they certainly didn’t happen because the world suddenly realized that you deserve more.

Often people will see the results that another person has and want that result for themselves. They are not seeing the sacrifices made or the work put in to achieve what the other person has; they just know they want it. They want to impress people, so that means something must happen fast. People don’t realize how much they must change to get what they want. They pray for the cake, so the universe gives them batter, oil, icing, a pan, and an oven. Then they get frustrated and leave the kitchen. In business transformational change involves a company making a radical move in its business model, often requiring changes in company structure, culture, and management.

Companies use transformational change theory in response to a crisis, or to reposition themselves in the market. There are many interesting parallels between the dynamic of the group and the individual. Personal transformation is how we change aspects of who we are, what we do and the life we lead. Transformation is both the journey – 'I am transforming', and the destination – 'I am transformed'. Engaging in personal transformation is a statement of positive intent. Transformational change is all about appreciating interdependence and working in partnership—with other people and organizations, with social trends, and unseen forces sometimes called energy, the arc of history, or spirit.

These are not far off concepts from a book I am talking about. I have lived through many instances of transformational change in my own life. So why is it important, and why do people talk about it? Does your life does get better by chance, or does it get better by change? If you want to change your life, you must change yourself. Start with the things that you can control and forget everything else. If you want big changes to happen fast, then you need to figure out how to make big changes happen to yourself.

You can choose a life of conscious design where you control your thoughts and your habits, or you can let them control you while languishing away in mediocrity. When you start thinking about this, you will notice that some people live their lives unconsciously. What I started realizing was it wasn’t just one area of life that needed improvement, it was all of them. I stopped letting life happen TO me and started making it happen FOR me. That is how transformative change happens, and that is one aspect many people never realize- (which is the topic for Part 2) your habits are your future.