Don’t Be Forced to Change

When my gym closed a couple of months ago, I was forced to change, and like many of you, I don’t like change. I had been going to the same gym, using the same equipment around the same people since 2003, and though it might not have been perfect, I was perfectly content to stay in my routine. That just wasn’t an option.

When they closed the former location, the owners bought another facility, and transferred memberships there, but my new trip was considerably farther than I wanted to drive, and except for a few familiar faces, the new gym was almost completely foreign to me. I didn’t know how to use some of the machines, and even when I figured out how to use the equipment properly, I didn’t know how much weight to load. Because I had spent so much time at my old gym, I even knew how to structure my workout to minimize time between stations, but I struggled to do that at the new gym. Nothing seemed right or comfortable.

I grumbled about a lot of things during my first few trips to the new facility, but the grumbling was misplaced. There was nothing wrong with the new gym; it just wasn’t the old gym, and that’s why I was frustrated. I didn’t want to change.

It’s ironic that someone like me, who works as a recruiter and encourages people to consider professional changes, is so resistant to change himself, but I also think that it’s human nature to cling to familiarity and the security and predictability it provides. It’s why we don’t take chances on new careers, relationships or changes in lifestyle. Resistance to change can stifle us this way, if we’re not careful.

Strength training is a perfect example of how resistance to change can stifle growth. If you routinely perform the same exercise with the same weight, you can get really good at lifting that weight and building the affected muscles, but only to that point. To lift more weight and build more muscle, you have to change up your workout routine with new weights and new exercises – exactly what I was resisting doing.

The same holds true in our careers, relationships and lifestyles. If we don’t step out of our comfort zones, at least occasionally, we get stuck in a rut that keeps us from reaching our true potential.

I had done that with the old gym to which I clung stubbornly for more than 17 years. When they closed the doors there for the final time, that gym was nowhere near optimal. Both the members and the employees were great, but the equipment and facility had fallen into disrepair. Still, I drove past nicer and newer facilities on my way there, because I didn’t want to change.

Finally, forced to change, I tried to adapt to the new facility, its equipment and the drive it required for me to get there. Ultimately though, I learned that the drive was unsustainable, and I realized that the parking situation would likely be troublesome during winter weather, so I decided to check out a newer gym that required less than half the travel time and had parking right by the front door.

My new gym is smaller and less crowded than the other two gyms, but I still find myself wishing that I was back in my old routine. At the same time, I also realize that I’m training my muscles in ways that they haven’t been trained in 17 years, and I’m beginning to see the results. I’m stronger than I was when I left the old gym, and those gains have made me more eager for my workouts.

Change is an important part of life; it helps us learn new things about ourselves, and it helps us grow. Change often comes with challenges, and those challenges can seem greater when we didn’t choose to change. When we’re forced to change, it’s natural to resist, but after a while, it’s much more helpful to find the bright side and focus there.

I encourage you to pay attention to the voice in your head that tells you that you need to change, and not to wait until you are forced to change. Something better can be just around the corner, and the longer you wait to change, the longer you’ll need to wait to enjoy the results.