Whether trying to lose a few pounds or attempting to transform a workplace culture, change is up against the massive inertia of homeostasis. Simply, living entities seek stability – even if stability is unhealthy. Until a new set-point becomes established, an organism will regress to its previous state no matter how many times you try to tweak its norm.
In other words, gravity always wins. Dysfunctional marriages last forever because breaking them up causes more immediate pain than enduring abuse. Employers can’t retain employees because firing toxic leaders who make themselves feel big by making others feel small costs them money. We often choose to normalize abuse and sanction toxicity.
The solution resides in committing to the rigor of navigating change over the comfort of sameness. Even though you’ve figured out how to live with those things that make you dread Mondays and look forward to Fridays, there might be a better way. If your goal is wellness, the devil you don’t know is usually a surprisingly better alliance than the devil you know.
Challenge what has become normal. Would you wish it on your best friend? Are you willing to age yourself prematurely in order to avoid the labor of switching paths? Place a multiplier on the years you’ve committed to endure sameness, because your soul will age at a faster rate than the calendar if you stay put.
