The Double by Sarah Masen

What is the biggest challenge to creating lasting change? Some say it’s making a start. Personally, I usually find starting things pretty easy; I’m normally really motivated at that point. I think it’s constancy. This week’s song The Double by Sarah Masen puts it like this:

Nothing like constancy to show us what we’re made of.

The word repeat in the picture above is the key. Although to refine-pause-observe-consider certainly helps to make sure what we are repeating is purposeful and effective. Repeating involves consistently and constantly doing the things which are effective to make the change we want.

However, it needn’t be big change which we need to commit to. Often, it’s the consistent practice of small changes which make the most difference. And this is important, because change at any level can be painful and challenging. So, small changes are a means of managing the pain or cost of making the long term changes you want. It’s about sustainability.

This is an important acknowledgement to make when preparing for change as we will face pain or challenge, and there’s no other way around it, unlike in our song …

He’s got a double for his stunts … You’ll think he’s brave until he’s touched.

We have no stunt double, and when we are trying to change things in life, we do need to be a bit brave because it might hurt a little. Knowing this helps us prepare for those times of challenge, and also helps us to understand that finding times difficult does not make us weak, but human:

Something like frailty is always underneath us.

As humans, change is something we constantly fight and face with a fragile heart. It means we will face some pain and challenge, but it never means we can’t make it. We just need to maintain commitment to sustainable small change and repeat.

Need some encouragement on your journey of change? Why not consider booking an appointment with the author, Dr Dave Wood?

The Double is taken from the Sarah Masen album Carry us Through.