Fears That Support Resistance To Change

The anxiety that's often behind our fear of change can create other more specific fears that support resistance to doing anything new. Many of these operate in our lives and you might recognise one or more working in yours:

• Fear of the unknown: uncertainty about the future...
  
  
• Fear of failure: anxiety about not getting things right. The best way to avoid the pain of failing is not to do anything at all.

• Fear of success: "Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
  

• Fear of loss: Change is often associated with loss in some way. And this usually ties in with our values.
  
  
• Fear of upsetting others: When you change it is likely to affect others. Of course, this can be positive. But often we see this as negative.
  

• Fear of leaving a comfort zone: Hmmm. We do like our routines and don't like to be faced with uncertainty.
  

So if you've identified a specific fear of change that blocks you, what now? Well, now you have something you can work with. Start by discovering more about these fears and then challenge them.

Do a reality test. This is important because fears work best if they don't allow us to see the whole truth. If it's 'fear of failure' that's stopping you, spend some time exploring what failure means to you. Change your definition of failure. In what ways can you 'fail' if you do this thing? Is that really failure?

Best of all, speak to someone who can help you explore these issues.

Mark Connelly - Change Management Coach, Business & Life Coach, Psychologist - Cape Town