Seeking Progress Over Change

We talk a lot about change, “Change is good” and “I need a change” or maybe “I just wish he would change.” I even heard a prominent political figure talk about “hope and change.” But is “change” really the answer?

Change is a natural process requiring no direction or intention. Change happens whether we like it or not, it’s inevitable. Our world and lives are in a constant state of flux, we don’t need to seek out change, it finds us.

If I ignore my wife and neglect to make time for her, our relationship will change. We will grow apart and become more distant. Intimacy will suffer. If I don’t pay attention to what I eat, I will change. I will get fatter and feel sluggish, but hey, at least it’s change!

What we must seek is progress. Progress is directed change. It requires sacrifice, intentionality and commitment. It demands you have a plan of action and execute deliberately. Most importantly, it doesn’t happen by accident. Too many are hoping to advance in life, but they are waiting around, expecting something to just “happen” to them.

Life is too short to wait around for things to magically get better, you must “happen” to life. Your circumstance will improve when you improve. We need to start eliminating “if I just had …” from our vocabulary. “I’m not happy but if I just had *insert magic fix here* then I’d be content.” It might be that new job, a raise, a better car, a spouse, a nicer boss, more kids, less kids, a helicopter, etc. When we seek external changes as the solution to our problems, we diminish our own responsibility and cripple our power to affect positive transformation.

Don’t sit around waiting for change. Instead, relentlessly pursue progress. Make a plan for continual self-improvement. Small, incremental advances – consistently executed – are the currency of achievement. That is far superior to a handful of change.

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