Ready, Willing, and Able
As we go through life, we reach different stages. Each day requires and demands different aspects of our character as we grow and mature. Change is never easy and most hate even the idea of it.
But if we want to change we must make change.
You cannot expect big results with little effort.
Let me ask you:
Are you ready to change? Are you willing to change? And, are you able to change?
The answer to these questions determine whether dreams and goals actually become real transformation.
Readiness
Readiness is your spark. Are you ready to change? You’re completely frustrated with how you feel and look, and you want to do something about it.
This is what I call the recognition phase.
If you never recognize your need for change then you will not change.
Readiness is your “want to. No one can teach “want to”. Coaches can teach a lot of skills to their athletes, but they cannot coach a player who has no “want to”.
Willingness
“If you are not willing to try something new, you will be stuck with the same ole you.”
– Luke Beasley
A person’s willingness to change is different than his/her readiness for change. Willingness is the next step after readiness.
You may recognize you need to change, but there are some changes you’re just not willing to make.
E.g. You may be ready to clean your garage because it’s a mess. But as you look at all that needs to be done, the task becomes overwhelming. Suddenly, you are less willing to tackle this job because of the perception of its enormity and the dedication it’ll demand.
What areas of your life do you know you need to change but are unwilling to? This unwillingness is called a “limiting factor”.
Limiting factors are the hurdles in your life you know you need to jump over. Hurdles can be various sizes, heights, and difficulties. More on this in a second.
Ability
The ability to change always precedes the actualization of change. You may be ready and willing to change, but the circumstances in your life may prevent you from doing so. The busyness of life/work, dealing with a sick child or parent, financial instability, mental fortitude, physical limitations are among some hurdles that impact our ability. Sometimes these situations are outside of your control.
This is the time to analyze your life and your circumstances. Identify where you are capable to change.
Readiness willingness and ability all impact the actuality of change.
Hurdles
How do you identify them?
What are the hurdles in your life? Those things that if you were to jump over and clear them, they would give you the progress that you desire. Obviously, jumping over every hurdle at once is nearly impossible. This is merely the identification phase. Identify what hurdles you need to jump over and then we will decide which one to conquer.
Identifying hurdles can be difficult. Mainly because when they are identified, we are then faced with reality. We have issues. It’s all part of the progression. If you never identify the issues, you live with blinders on.
Hurdles left unidentified do not magically disappear!
Hurdles can be broad or very specific to each of us.
Some hurdles may include:
- Time management-too busy
- Physical injury or illness
- Hormonal imbalance
- Drugs/alcohol addiction
- Money (how can a gym-membership save you money?)
- More exercise
- Eating/drinking too much sugar
- Eating too much processed foods
- Over or under-stressed
- Micro or macronutrient deficiency
- Dehydrated or overhydrated
- Don’t know how to cook
- Among many others
Why is this important to understand?
Identifying hurdles determines your road map toward progress.
These hurdles can be placed anywhere along the road. However, tactically placing the smaller hurdles first may give us the momentum we need for the larger ones. An important note is that physical change MAY be delayed depending on the height and number of hurdles. Some hurdles must be cleared before we even being to see physical change. But, we may see changes in other areas of life i.e. emotional, occupational, physiological (blood profile), mental, spiritual, relational, and even motivationally.