Nothing Happens until Something Moves

This quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein. It suggests that, for any change or progress to occur, there must be some sort of movement.

We all have habits, good and bad. Good habits help us save time. No need to stop and think everything through. A trigger event leads to the usual action and then the usual reward. We see the curb in front of us, we stop and look, we live. Otherwise, we put lives in danger. It’s a good habit.

Maybe you have a habit that doesn’t serve you. One that does you some kind of harm or keeps you stuck. What is the action you always perform when the trigger arrives? What is the result? If you want to change the result, you need to change the act. Maybe eventually the trigger will be gone, but you can’t automatically erase it. You have to consciously act in a different way in response to the trigger. What action would you like to take – or like to like to take? What result would you like to get?

Suppose you find it hard to speak up in a group, but you see the advantage of doing so. It can help you build visibility and confidence. You want to speak, your nerves kick in, you stay silent. How to change that? An action is called for. But what? Maybe you get yourself to listen very carefully in order to just say “I agree” or to ask a clarifying question. That’s a short response. It can be doable, even if somewhat nerve-wracking. You don’t act, nothing changes. Nothing happens/changes until you do it.

Maybe you want to give a presentation but put off putting yourself out there because it’s scary. You fear the reactions of others. Maybe the act that will get you to move forward, past your fear and your inevitable self-put-down, is to find a coach.

Let’s say there’s a project you need to complete but keep putting off. It won’t happen until you move on it. The trigger leads you to procrastinate. But what if you decided to do something different. Maybe set the timer for 5 minutes and tell yourself you can work on it then stop – or continue at that point if you’re on a roll. Maybe you set a length of time or a defined chunk of the project to complete and promise yourself a nice reward for doing it. What would be a good one? A walk? Call a friend? Read? Watch TV? You can limit the time you spend on that too. What if, when the avoidance trigger occurs, you change your behavior a bit and pair the onerous task with something you enjoy?

Maybe you want to ride the exercycle but put it off. Maybe you love playing Sudoku on your phone. Or reading? Watching a movie. Listening to music. Instead of putting off those pleasures, why not pair them with biking? You feel the urge to ignore the bike, you recognize it and this time make the bike more fun, and you reap a double reward!

Nothing changes until you move on it. What do you want to change? What will make it more likely/easy/rewarding? How would you feel about accomplishing that? What change will you put in motion today?