Fear of change
Fear of change is the tension associated with the loss of predictability, control or the current way of functioning.
Definition
Change can trigger anxiety even when it is needed or beneficial. The mind often prefers known difficulties to unknown possibilities because the known provides a sense of predictability. Working with fear of change involves reducing uncertainty, dividing change into steps and building safe tests.
Key ideas
- Uncertainty
- Loss of predictability
- Small tests of change
Practice and life
Break the change into the next experiment: what will I check over 7 days without treating it as a final decision?
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to assume that resistance means wrong direction. It is also a mistake to jump into a big change without a buffer and an adaptation plan.
> Known suffering can seem safer than the unknown of changing anything.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What exactly am I afraid of losing?
- What part of the change can I test safely?
- What will help me maintain continuity during change?