Resistance to Change

I have been working at Hilton Head Health for about three and half years now and the one thing that I know about H3 is that things are always changing. A new pool in 2009, the Heavy A&E filming in 2010, Devin’s Dash, new Woodway Treadmills in 2011 and Lisette Cifaldi joining the H3 Family in 2012 (just to name a few). What has probably been the biggest change for me most recently is being named the Director of Fitness (a position I could have only dreamed of when I was an intern). It’s quite exciting when I take a look back at everything that’s happened in such a short time period.

I only think about these things now because the facility continues to evolve with many exciting changes taking place over the course of 2013. The point I would like to make today is that sometimes we have the tendency to look at change as a bad thing. What I am learning is that the most important thing about change is to expect it and embrace it. Through the changing times, Hilton Head Health has always remained a place to help others change their lives. At the end of the day, I am grateful to simply be a part of it.

With that said, have you ever felt like you’ve been resistant to change? Ever catch yourself saying one of the following?

1. I’m losing control – change interferes with our territory. We get comfortable with the control of situations and responsibilities. As I’ve mentioned in goal setting, people are motivated by autonomy (the desire to direct their own lives). The fact of the matter is when there’s a change we feel like we’re not the directors.


2. Geez, everything is different – humans are creatures of habit and change throws the creature off. It makes us think and operate differently. “Automatic” is what everyone is looking for in life. We want consistency so change makes us uncomfortable. The only day that is the same was yesterday; when things are different we have to embrace it.


3. This is going to be more work – is it really going to be more work? Will you have the same thoughts one year later? Human nature is to dismiss the things that don’t come easy but at the end of the day, typically, where there is little struggle there is little reward.