What Will Make You Change?

When you talk to people about making a change in their life, exercising more, quitting smoking, starting a business, there is usually some type of pain they are trying to heal.

Ever heard the saying, "People change when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change?"

My friends that have left their jobs to be stay-at-home moms did so because it was too painful for them to have someone else raising their child. When my dad had to have a stent put in, he quit smoking and started eating healthier. This was my driving force when I started my consulting firm nearly seven years ago, I hated that my husband and I were away from our, then, infant son for 12 hours a day. Practically all we were doing was giving him a place to sleep.

Some of you may be in that place right now; you want to make a change because you just can't keep going on the way you are. By making a change and taking action, (going to the gym, not smoking, attending a starting your business seminar) you begin to heal that pain.

There is another type of pain though that causes people to change: the pain of vision. To be honest, I didn't even recognize this as a catalyst to change until I heard our pastor talking about it during our New Year's Day Vision and Goal Setting seminar. There are times in your life when God will give you the pain of a vision. For me The Naptime CEO has been a pain of vision. For years I have had the vision for this company, but my time was filled with my consulting firm, my children, and my family. However, that all changed about three months ago when God placed the pain of this vision in my heart.

When you have a pain of vision, it is something that compels you to move forward. You try to focus on other tasks or activities, but your vision won't let go of you. The only way to heal this pain is to begin taking action. And let me be the first to tell you that just because you have a vision for what you want or feel are called to do does NOT mean you have the entire map laid out in front of you.

Let me illustrate, when I started my consulting firm (pain of staying the same) I knew what steps to take and had clear goals for three years out. For this venture, I can clearly see what it will become and whom I will be helping, but how I'm going to get there... I can't see that. Fortunately, I know the first steps to take. (I have launched a few businesses in my life) So even though I can't see the entire map, I can begin. Our pastor is also fond of saying "If you know the next step to take, you are not lacking in vision."

So what about you? What do you want to change and more specifically, what kind of pain is going to help you change?

Share what you want to change in the comments, I would love to help or just be able cheer you on.