One of the big ideas that stuck with me in my Change Leadership training is — “The value is in the change.” It’s such a simple concept, but it got me thinking.
If there’s no change, then it’s like treading water. It’s like the hamster on the wheel. It’s like below the line vs. above the line. The value is in the change, and the change is about raising the bar and rising above your status quo. It’s about changing your game. If you invest time and energy, then you expect some sort of return. The return is supposed to come from the change. Some of the changes might be:
- Can I do this a little better?
- Can I do this a little faster?
- Can I do this a little cheaper?
Sometimes the change is doing what you already do, but better. Other times the change is doing something new entirely … out with the old, in with the new. When it comes to personal change, that means changing your thinking, feeling, and doing. The easiest thing to notice here is a clear change in behavior.
You can use “the value is in the change” as your lens, to help remind you where the value is. Whether it’s adopting a New Year’s Resolution, or buying a personal development program, or reading a new book, remind yourself that the value is not in the thing itself. The value is in the change. Knowing and doing are two different things.
The more that you actually apply the new insights, strategies, and tactics that you learn, the more value you can realize from your efforts.
With that in mind, what will you do differently, to realize more value from the time and energy you already spend?
Photo by Ian Sane.
