Resistance to Change

It is a common proclivity amongst us baby-boomers.   I believe we all have varying forms of such resistance.  Myself, I do not like to change my daily routine.  Not sure why but once I get a routine down pat, I don't like to change it.

Others may resist change in terms of a route they take to work or where they may sit in church.  Sounds a bit silly but I have fallen into these tendencies in the past.

So, why do we resist change?  I suspect some of it is attributable to giving up the certain for uncertain.  Some may call that fear.  Some resist change for having to learn something new or give up something with which they are comfortable.  Psychologists probably have many other thoughts and theories on this.

From personal experience, I can think of numerous times in recent years in which I resisted change out plain old stubborness.  Once I made the change, I would ask myself why I waited so long and why I resisted it so much.

As much as I loathe change in some areas of my life, I realize that change is necessary in other parts.  As we boomers move into the latter stages of our current working careers we have to consider (i) whether someone overseas can do our job cheaper (ii) whether automation can do our job faster and (iii) whether we have skill and mindset to adapt to constant and rapid change.  Given these and other demographic shifts, I realize more now than ever that I cannot resist change but rather embrace it and learn to grow from it.

There are several major industries that have resisted the change wrought by the internet.  They include:  newspapers; book publishing; recorded music; and TV news.  Wonder where they will be 10 years from now?  I suspect that some may go by the way of the Dodo bird or will certainly look different than they do today.

The message to me, like these stagnant industries seems quite simple and ominously clear:  resist change to one's own peril.  As Tom Peters wrote in "Re-Imagine!" seek to make yourself distinct lest become extinct.  Foreboding words.