Make That Change, But Have a Plan B FOOD FOR THOUGHT
What do you think is one of the biggest impetuses for change is? You might think it’s desire, but actually, it’s not. Pain is a bigger motivator — and then there are the times we’re forced into it. I’ve seen the later of those two happen more times than not. Let’s face it: Most change is hard, uncomfortable, and a lot of work. It might be easier to put up with the unpleasant situation you’re in because you know what to expect. You know what you’re dealing with. To leave your current circumstances is to take a risk. There’s also the fear of making a change and that the new situation will turn out to be worse than the one you’re already in. How bad does something have to be for you to make a change? In Alcoholics Anonymous, they call it “hitting your bottom.” Everyone has a different “bottom.” I personally have a low emotional pain tolerance, so I’ve made some big changes in my life a little quicker than most would. For me, it’s easier to let go of a job I don’t like, end a friendship that isn’t real, or leave a program that’s no longer working for me than be miserable. I have a friend who, several years ago, had a business that was barely paying the bills, and she just kept at it until she was faced with going bankrupt. She was forced to completely re-think how to run her business differently, or she had to get a j-o-b, and guess what? She didn’t want to go and work for someone, and when it came to shutting it all down, she figured out another way to make it work, and today she’s successful and happy. When Michael left his practice and started Roz Strategies over eight years ago, it was a thought in his mind for a couple of years while he was still at his resolution firm. And you know why he finally made the decision to leave and follow his new dream? It wasn’t because he prepared for two years. It’s because it finally got bad enough for him to let go of what was not working for him. And without going into all the details, he didn’t like having 125 employees, and he and his business partner were no longer aligned with how to run the company. To start our company, Roz Strategies, we had to start from scratch, and we had to learn a brand-new business model. For me, it was exhilarating. For Michael, he was a little shell-shocked. Michael and I have shared the story of starting our business many times. Here’s the part you might not know, and the secret to how I always think when I make a change, and that is I always have a Plan B in place in my head. I was excited to learn something
new and to follow Michael’s dream, but I didn’t know if we’d be successful. You can never know the outcome of what you pursue. There are percentages of why something is in your favor for a great outcome, but until you start implementing, you’re not going to know the results. Here’s the other part: If something is on your mind to pursue, it’s most likely you really want to do it. We usually don’t think of pursuing things we don’t want. We’re focused on what we’d like to have in our lives. And sometimes, not knowing if it’s going to work is much better than knowing everything there is to know about something. For me, at the end of my life, I don’t want to look back and say, “Gee, I wish I would have done x, y or z.” So, when I make that pivot, I also have a Plan B in my mind if things don’t turn out as planned. I don’t want to go with Plan B, but for me, it takes the pressure off Plan A. For Michael, Plan B isn’t an option, so he works harder and does whatever it takes to make Plan A happen.
What about you? What’s on your mind that you would like to change but are afraid of pursuing? What’s the worst that can happen, or better yet, what is your Plan B if Plan A doesn’t work out? Whatever it takes for you to follow that dream, it’s worth your time to figure it out, and it’s something to think about. –Roslyn Rozbruch
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