Sunday, September 27, 2009

Five Barriers to Change

Familiarize Yourself With these Five Common Barriers to Change So You Can Stay On Track:
 
1. Ownership: It's easier to pass the buck than to stand up as a leader and take over responsibilities that may not even be yours.
 
2. Time: Change always takes longer than estimated. Add 50 percent to 100 percent more time to your expectations.
 
3. Difficulty: When a task appears to be easy, you may set yourself up for disappointment and frustration if you miscalculate the time required to complete it.  Anticipate troubles, and give yourself credit for small victories.
 
4. Distractions: When the going gets tough, as it will, it's easy to be distracted by competing goals, other interests and priorities.  Anticipate how easily you can become distracted; you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to regain your focus.
 
5. Maintenance: Once you expend all of the effort needed to achieve a change goal, be willing to face reality.  It takes time for the new to become habitual. Give up too soon, and you're back to square one.  Maintenance requires vigilance and perseverance—more than you may think.
 
Thanks to Coach John G. Agno