We are all tempted by change. Whether it’s a change in procedure or a change in jobs, we are hit with a wave of enthusiasm as we focus on the potentially positive results.
All talented people want to make changes in their lives and in the world around them. If you believe you are talented, you begin with the notion that you can do things better, and therefore you should.
But it makes no more sense to rush into making every change you can than it does to run away from every change possible.
“I’ve tried to go in so many directions, I don’t know where I am anymore. I’ve tried so many programs, I’ve lost count,” says Teresa, a paralegal in Charlotte. “Now I need a program for people who’ve tried too many programs.”
She describes the cycle: “I fall for the sales pitch, I jump in, and then a short time later I don’t feel like it’s working. Then the cycle starts all over again.”
Finally one of her friends gave her some advice. “She told me that I have to approach changing my life more like I’m buying a house than like I’m buying a dress. It’s not permanent and irreparable, but it ought to reflect serious consideration and a solid commitment.”
Says Teresa, “In a way, it’s a good thing all these programs didn’t work, because I’ve signed up for so many, I’d be fifty-six different people by now if they’d worked.”
People who rate themselves as intelligent have a 47 percent higher need for change in their professional world. They regularly see possibilities and opportunities around them but must be wary of allowing boredom to encourage them to pursue change for the sake of change.
Whatley 1998