Blog | Personal Finance

Three Things That Need to Change... If You Want to Change

Why disruption is essential for prosperity

I meet a lot of women who want to change what they have in life. Often, however, they haven't counted the cost of what it means to achieve this change.

Change is tough for anyone because it requires us to move from what is comfortable to what is not. Even if change means something healthy, it still feels uncomfortable.

For instance, if you are overweight and want to get healthy, you have to stop eating bad foods and start exercising. As you know, this is much easier said than done. Eating healthy foods is hard mentally (and physically if you're used to feeling fuller than you need to be), and exercising has real physical pain associated with it. It's much easier to stay in your routine than to change it.

But the reality is that if you want to really change what you have in life, you have to change who you are and what you do.

What does this mean in practice?

Redefine your identity

If you are someone who watches television every night, that can become a part of who you are. You don't realize it, but your habits start to become, not just something that you do, but a part of your identity. That is why when you try to change, you run into resistance. Your mind is revolting against an attack on what it sees as your core self.

It becomes imperative to recognize this, to call it out, and to take back control of your identity. You must consciously choose who you want to be and redefine yourself rather than let your subconscious decide.

So, for instance, rather than waste hours each night watching TV, you must redefine yourself as a person who studies and learns about money and investments. By making this conscious shift in your identity, you win half the battle in achieving change.

Redefine your friendships

Another thing that can hold you back is your friendships. The old phrase, "Birds of a feather flock together," is very accurate. If you're having a hard time achieving the change you're looking for in life, take a look at your friends. Are they encouraging you to get better or are they tempting you to fall back into old ways? If it's the latter, it's time to move on and find new friends who can travel to the next level with you, not drag you down.

Redefine your routine

Once you've changed your identity and relationships, it's imperative that you create new routines that lead to success.

If you want to be healthier, you have to actually diet and exercise, not just talk about it. This might require you putting some money where your mouth is, going to a gym, and hiring a personal trainer. The money and the accountability will motivate you to keep at it.

If you want to be financially free, you have to learn how money works and begin investing. This might require you to find a partner who will learn and invest with you to keep you accountable, and finding a mentor who will challenge you on how you spend your time and resources.

Disruption leads to prosperity

In the tech world, the buzzword "disruption" is often used. Disruption is an idea or product that comes in and profits off of an industry that is comfortable and no longer innovative. Uber is an example of a company that disrupted the taxi industry to great effect. They are now worth billions of dollars because they didn't accept the status quo.

In our own personal lives, disruption is essential-in our identity, friendships, and routines-if we want to change. Today, take a look at your life and see how you can disrupt it for the better.