Are You Motivated for Change?
By Carol Jurgensen Sheets                               

WHICH APPROACH DO YOU CHOOSE FOR CHANGE?

Is there something that you want to change in your life, yet you continue to hedge back and forth, wondering if you're strong enough to make that needed lifestyle change?    If you are ambivalent and not truly committed to changing your life, don't waste your time or energy stuck in your own ambivalence.  The odds are definitely against you. 

Most  women have to be in one of two states in order to truly alter their life.  They need to be so fed up with their situation that they are miserable, and in so much pain that they are truly ripe to change their lives.  The other example is the group of people who make great changes because they have been inspired to change.  The inspiration has created a change in thought patterns. Instead of focusing on deprivation or on what they will be "losing", they focus on what they will gain if they make changes in their life. 

People who effectively change have positive attitudes.  They find enjoyment from their substitutions and are excited by their altered lifestyle.  Let me give you examples of both of these types of people.  

Misery and Pain Scenario

In Your Business
Have you been wanting to create a change in your business that would increase revenue or customers. You have an action plan but you continue to put it off because it is easier to do the same thing over and over because it is familiar and predictable. Then one day you realize that you really don't have enough money to pay the bills. You start berating yourself because you never should have waited this long to take action. You fear that you have waited too long and now you may not be able to recover. You feel miserable about yourself  and your circumstances.

In Recovery
Talk to an alcoholic about his recovery.  He will typically tell you that he went into treatment after "being sick and tired of being sick and tired".  He could no longer tolerate his existence and had to do something different.   It's as if his alcoholism had worn him down to the point where he
was resolved to try some alternative to pull him out of that big, dark, black hole. 

Your Health
I often see this in people who report that no matter how hard they try& they cannot maintain a healthy eating lifestyle.  Although they may actually loathe their bodies and use negative self-talk throughout the day, their despondency is not bad enough to give up food to achieve a healthier body image. 

The Inspired Scenario

Most successful business women know that they need to create an action plan with steps that they can apply to their daily routine to make a difference in their business. They find things that will support them throughout their day. They look for inspiration to  motivate them into momentum.
They are excited to take on the challenges and they look for the positives that tell them they are on the right track Are you someone who looks for inspiration to motivate you? If not, do you know of someone who seems to be inspired into action. Business Women Connect is one of those opportunities to keep you feeling positive and connected to your strengths.

Which woman are you?  Do you make decisions based on misery or your ability to create behavioral changes that energize you?  People who gravitate toward misery may have addiction problems with drugs, alcohol, and gambling, spending, or unhealthy relationships. They wait until things cant get worse.  They may suffer from depression and have trouble being proactive. Inspired women  may have read a book or saw a television show that got them going, or ran into someone who motivated them. They are typically planners.  They think through their changes and decide how they are going to alter their routine to effect change. Some of my clients have actually used both approaches in their lifetime. 

How would your life be different if you didn't have to hit rock bottom and instead could make the choice to change your lifestyle before you were truly down and out?  Regardless of which approach speaks to you, the state of ambivalence may be necessary to get you to the next step!  When you make the decision to move out of ambivalence it may motivate you to do something about your plight!