You Are Not A Tree

This is a phrase I use a lot when talking about change and how we respond to the changes that happen around us.

As a project manager, managing change, preparing people for change and helping them to embrace change is a never ending task. So when people are resistant to change, I remind them they are not trees that can only stay where they are planted.

They have choices and it’s within their gift to make the necessary changes. The only real factor is their willingness to change.

F. Scott Fitzgerald aptly presents this in the following quote:

“For what it’s worth… it’s never too late, or in my case too early to be whoever you want to be. There is no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same.

There are no rules to this thing. You can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before.

I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”

There are three things I want to highlight from this quote as follows:

The matter of time

It’s never too late or too early to make a change. The right time to make a change is when you realise that change is required. Don’t waste any more time, grab that realisation and move towards the new.

It’s up to you

It really is up or down to you – whether you choose to change or stay with the status quo. You have choices to make and you can choose to make the right ones. No one else can make you change though they can encourage and support you.

It’s up to you and you’ve got what it takes to make it happen. We are all uniquely talented and gifted, we are solutions to problems and we can all make a difference.

Starting over

We can all start over and start living the lives we will be proud of. There is no shame in starting over as when we know better, we can do better. What does your starting over look like?

The privilege and benefit of not being a tree is that if we don’t like how things are, or the trajectory we are on, we can change it.

What about change that’s ‘being done to us’ or mandated?

If needed change is happening around us especially in our workplaces, we can remind ourselves not to act like a tree.

As leaders, parents, employers, and change managers, we need to be aware of our own feelings and that of others about upcoming changes. We must understand the reasons for the change and help others to understand it too.

We need to make space for the roller coaster emotions that come with ‘Change’ and help people navigate the change curve even as we sometimes go through it with them.

As you start a new week, what recent changes have you gone through personally or professionally? In what areas of your life do you need change to happen? What are you going to do about it? What changes have you felt forced to embrace and how did you respond?

Whatever changes are thrusted on you, remember you are not a tree. Change is an inevitable part of life and we can have a better experience if we have a positive attitude towards the necessary or unavoidable changes.

If a change is mandated, resistance is quite often futile and a waste of your time. If you have doubts and concerns about the change, speak to those who can help you understand. If you still don’t agree with the change, perhaps it’s time for you to explore other opportunities.

Trees can’t move and don’t have a choice but YOU always DO!

Thanks for reading my post and have a great week. It would be great if you could share the blog with others.