8 Reasons Why Change is Challenging and How to Simplify It

When a person or organization experiences change, it means that their circumstances have evolved from their prior norms and practices. This happens as a result of changing circumstances and experiences that force new organizational or individual demands or behaviors.

Why is change challenging, and how can we overcome the difficulties it brings?

Change happens every day. To alter any part of your life, whether it be personal or professional, you must fight against ingrained behavioral patterns, which means you must fight against the brain's natural, unconscious processes that are intended to simplify life.

Below are eight reasons why change is challenging and suggestions to simplify it.

Our Outlook

Change occurs slowly and often gradually. Change appears intimidating and, as a result, we are more likely to avoid it when we view it as one enormous event. We may also hold certain restrictive beliefs and false notions about change, which discourage us from seeking it.

You can apply the idea of compound improvement to change or improve any element of your life: Small, ongoing advancements have a significant impact on your outcomes over time. If you wish to lose weight, for instance, you can start by reducing your caloric intake by 1% compounded daily. By the end of your first week, you will have reduced your caloric consumption by 150 calories (based on a baseline intake of 2,500 calories). Start by making modifications in the lowest possible amount that you can handle.

Goals Are Too General and Lack a Clear Purpose

It's unclear to say, "I want to start eating better starting next month." It would be better to say, "Every day, I'm going to eat fewer carbohydrates.” It's ambiguous to say "I'm going to develop new skills." Instead say "I intend on enrolling in classes to help me learn new soft skills." Vagueness prevents us from laying forth any concrete, executable plans. Give a brief justification for your desire to modify something. What do you want to achieve specifically? If you have a defined objective, setting goals will be simpler.

Lack of Instantaneous Results

Behavioral change is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, it takes effort and it's harder to see the change when it's slow and gradual. The Compound Effect suggests that it's the small little consistent changes that turn into big changes over time. Knowing what you're attempting to do is easier when your goals are clear. Furthermore, you have the ability to measure outcomes precisely and know which actions to reward.

It is crucial to maintain consistency. It's not like we can simply flick a switch and become completely different. No, it takes laborious work. Additionally, gradual and slow changes are more difficult to notice. Consider this: Have you ever had a year or a few months that were incredibly transformative? Those around us don't appear to notice or comment on our change.  However, people who we haven't seen in a while before our metamorphosis tell us how much we've changed when they run into us. Even if you don't see results right away, have patience with yourself and keep working toward your objectives. All modifications require consistency. 

We Fear Uncertainty of the Unknown

Most people fear change  since it requires stepping into the unknown. Naturally, our survival instincts and sane selves would then go into overdrive. It is challenging to get prepared for something that is uncertain. Actually, one of the biggest causes of our procrastination is fear. We may also experience a dread of either achievement or failure since both the obligations of success and the frustrations and losses of failure can be feared.

We can never know or be 100% certain that we will be able to change ourselves and our lives. For those of us who are not confident, that uncertainty is scary.

We fear leaving that relationship because of the fear of being unable to find someone better. We fear applying for a new position at work because what if we are not prepared or suited or the promotion doesn’t work out as planned? Then we’re jobless or even unhappier at our work than before.

Let go of control and believe in yourself that you're going to make it out alive and better. Even if the aforementioned does happen, it’s not the end of the world. We just need to keep moving forward and know that it’s never too late for success. You have what it takes to deal with what life throws at you and become a better person because of it. Despite the difficulty of admitting failure, acknowledge that it is possible because failing can teach you something. Additionally, be aware that getting back up again has no upper limit: There is always the option to try again or start over. Be aware that there are countless opportunities for you; therefore, don't let failure stop you from making changes.

Of course, nobody wants to be considered a failure. However, there are two other options: failing, and not even trying. Which challenge do you want to make your own?

Our Motivation is Not Strong Enough

It's common to think that negative emotions act as better change agents than positive ones. Fortunately, the contrary is, in fact, true. This is supported by Psychology Today's analysis of 129 behavior change research, which found that regret and fear-based change techniques were consistently the least successful. According to this study, motivation should come from good emotions and facts fueled by a greater purpose.

You need motivation since it is one of the things that will push you to take action and alter your behavior. Consequently, be sure you are sufficiently driven to make the change if you really want to because changing your behavior will be extremely difficult if you lack motivation.

To stay motivated, periodically evaluate your objectives and results, and keep establishing new objectives.

Lack of Purpose

Making a change or wanting to change is difficult without purpose, as it gives you a reason to act upon it. Lack of direction can negatively impact many facets of your life and lead you to obsess over worrying ideas that make you feel distressed. Living a life with meaning is beneficial for your mental health and can make you happier and more content. Embrace a growth mindset and view challenges as opportunities; this approach is associated with a sense of purpose.

Change is often difficult because you doubt that there is a problem or that anything actually needs to be changed (or a lack of purpose for change). On the other side, you can be aware that you need to make a change yet unwilling to put out the effort necessary to do so.

It Requires Hard Work

Even if the change is as simple as doing one thing at a time or making small improvements, it still involves work and habit. Habit is the practice of exerting willpower and moving forward as a daily activity, similar to working a muscle to make it stronger. We want a quick fix without putting in a lot of effort without the process. We want to be successful, healthy, or wealthy overnight without making the necessary efforts or developing sustainable habits. This is related to our innate inability to resist the unconscious, natural processes that the brain uses to make life simpler. We are adept at adopting short-term viewpoints that prioritize immediate enjoyment above significant intended outcomes. Change comes with a high cost: resistance, pain, fear of the unknown, potential for failure, and people’s opinion. Some folks don't think it's worth it and convince themselves to consider their lives to be "good enough." They might believe that everything is "just fine" in their lives and tell themselves that they don't need to make any changes, but keep in mind that "good" is the enemy of "great." It is exhausting to go through the effort, routine, and everyday duties necessary to bring about the change you want to see, and takes a lot of self-control and discipline. It can be arduous to resist impulses to revert to previous behaviors, and it is much simpler to just give in. Change is challenging, but if your motivation and sense of purpose are strong enough, you can keep going by focusing on the eventual result.