Have you lost it? Get your energy back!

You come across as brave and strong. You’ve proven, more than once, that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. You know what it takes to make things happen. Not only do you have the right personality and experience, but you’re also knowledgeable about the stages any person must go through as part of the change process.

So, you have all that it takes to make things work. Yet, you’re unhappy and stressed. Your job doesn’t satisfy you. You can’t stand your boss. You don’t find the time for yourself. The rewards don’t reflect your efforts. Everything seems to be off. The place you live in doesn’t feel like home. Unfinished projects are piling up. You’re chasing your tail, lacking the energy for a good sprint, let alone for a marathon. Even finding the right people who can inspire you seems to be difficult.

Your life has taken control over you.

At this point, you’re setting yourself up for less than you deserve. The quality of your life has been compromised. Yet, why are you not making the right move? It’s quite ironic how you loathe the situation but you also find comfort with it, as if you’ve been together long enough to have that intimate connection.

Where’s the logic in all of that?

Apparently, it’s nowhere to be found. But let’s have a closer look at it.

Change is painful and uncertain. Your current situation, as dreadful as it seems, holds no secrets to you. It bears a familiarity you’ve become attached to, like an old, tired, broken toy, whose value is nothing more than sentimental. You probably won’t even move a finger to improve your life unless your current state deteriorates to be unbearably painful.

Change is hard. It takes a lot of energy to replace whatever is already in place, with an imagined desired status that is potentially better. So, don’t be too harsh on yourself if you feel like you can’t handle it on your own.

Chance was not in play when Kurt Levin’s Force Field Analysis became one of the most powerful change management techniques of all time. Used by both individuals and organisations, the model offers an easy-to-catch visual representation of the movement of forces affecting the goal.

Think of a goal as of a big block. Draw it in the middle of a paper sheet.

List all of the benefits this change would bring, and position them on the left side of the block. These are the driving forces of change.

Then list all of the barriers and concerns that you can think of on the right side of the block. These represent the restraining forces of change.

Draw an arrow pointing toward the block under each component of the list.

Now, let’s quantify the results.

Rank each item on a scale from 1 to 10, then add-up the numbers.

Each side of the block contains a specific amount of energy.

How does your drawing look? Which side of it is more loaded?

Results

A. Right side surcharge/overload

If the energy of the blocking forces exceeds the amount of energy of the driving forces, you’d probably find yourself stuck in the current situation, and progressing towards the achievement of your goals would turn into a mirage.

What to do?

You must address each of them to change the balance in favour of the driving forces. How would you do that? There are two main options.

1. Likely, the most intuitive way for you is to approach the situation from the same mindset you’ve used to reach your current This could mean anything from trying to work harder and planning to spend more hours, to adding up new tasks to your already overly busy schedule. In essence, this course of action would need you to spend more energy, whilst this is exactly what you are lacking. For this reason, I would rate this alternative as unreliable.
2. Another way to approach the problem would be for you to bring in new energy and to operate from a different mindset. Wise people know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a powerful management technique. Look around and see who could assist you. This could be a friend, a workmate, your manager, a mentor, coach, or a change consultant. What you should be looking for is a fresh perspective, able to trigger new insights, some specific knowledge on how to manage resisting forces, a proven system to navigate change, as well as for the empathy, the encouragement and the constant supply of energy that any change process requires. If you are in search of a professional experience, clarity, accessibility and practicality, I’m inviting you to have a look at The SevenSight Transformation Program.

B. Left side surcharge / overload

If the left side bears a significantly higher number than the right one, you’re in a very sweet spot. Grasp the opportunity and start acting now to implement your change.

Life is highly dynamic, and you never know what’s around the corner.

Act now to make the difference you deserve.

Tomorrow could be too late.