What is your attitude toward change?
We have all been told that change is hard. Over and over. So much so, many of us accept it as truth.
And I do not believe it at all.
Change can be easy – if you have the right attitude.
Attitude is the way a person thinks or feels about a specific person, place, action, or experience. If your attitude toward change is that it’s going to be hard, then it will be. But if you approach change with a positive attitude, it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Mindset and mojo
I was recently invited to attend a mindset conference for executives and high performers. A place to “get one’s mojo back,” if you will.
Those who know me won’t be surprised to learn I’m not really into the woo-woo side of self-development. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve tried many different approaches to change. This was one more.
And you know what?
The woo-woo approach – just like every other approach – works if you have the right attitude. If you are open to bending your mind to consider new ideas.
But being open is just the first step. Your attitude is what will let you make change that sticks.
The status quo
Just because you say you are open to other ideas doesn’t mean you really are.
If you ever find yourself thinking:
This won’t work for me.
My company is unique.
You don’t understand my business’s problem.
You may be allowing your well-established behavioral patterns to be working against the path your brain is trying to take to make life easier for you. That is why so many people do the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Our patterns—or our status quo—steer us toward the easy, established path. The shortcut. And our behavioral patterns do this even when our logical minds know there is a better way.
The status quo does not want you to change:
Go against the flow
You can change for the better and challenge the status quo.
You have the power to be The Challenger:
Challenge what has always been done.
Challenge mediocrity.
Expect better of yourself and others
Embrace the unknown in a positive light.
You have the power to go against the flow. But you have to reframe your attitude toward change.
Make the enemy your friend
Mid-journey and ChatGPT are real. They aren’t just a flash in the pan, and they are not going away.
What is your attitude toward them? What is your attitude toward other emerging AI – including the AI that is targeting your client base?
Are you afraid? Or are you excited?
Are you finished? Or will you thrive?
Are you going to throw in the towel? Or will you learn to change?
Is all the effort worth it? Yes.
Changing your attitude
Your attitude will change once you acknowledge you need to change your attitude. Sounds simple enough, right?
It is. But a few tricks will make it even easier.
Here’s what has worked for me:
Pick one thing (belief/attitude) you would like to change. Be specific. Broad is vague, and vague is the enemy of lasting change.
Let's say the thing you would like to change is your view on ChatGPT or another emerging technology.
Reflect on your original attitude toward QuickBooks Online. Heck, if you have been in business long enough, reflect on your original attitude toward QuickBooks Desktop.
Many accounting professionals hated QuickBooks when it was first released. And, yes, some still do...but most have embraced QuickBooks Online as the best-in-class software solution for their clients.
But here’s the kicker: The ones who adopted a positive attitude sooner reaped the greatest rewards.
So where will you stand on ChatGPT? Will you reap the big rewards? Or will you let your attitude toward change hold you back and leave you gathering crumbs?
Get clear on the benefits. How will the change you’re making make your life better? How will it improve your relationships? How will your business be better?
You must have clear benefits in mind to put the effort toward making the desired change. The lack of a clear benefit makes it hard to convince yourself to put effort toward something without an evident appeal.
Tell someone. Yes, declaring that you are going to do something improves the odds that you will do it. Ask someone to be your change partner. Or, better yet, your attitude partner.
Stay positive and stick with it. Change challenges your belief systems. Work through that. You have done the hard thing already by committing to the change. Now don’t let that stinking thinking affect you.
Unlimited ability
Your ability to change others is limited. However, the ability for you to change yourself is unlimited.
So, commit now to making a positive change in your attitude. Your world will be full of abundance when you do.
Ron Saharyan
Ron Saharyan is co-founder of Profit First Professionals LLC, a family of elite accountants, bookkeepers and business coaches who have helped drive profit in more than 300,000 companies worldwide. Ron also is the co-host of "Grow My Accounting Practice Podcast (GMAP)."
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