It has been said that your entire day is a collection of
habits that you follow automatically. This is so true. By nature, you develop rituals
and ways of doing things that are easy, efficient and replicable. From the time
you get up in the morning until you go to bed, it’s mostly autopilot.

Not all that bad, except it impedes progress. For
instance, think of the way you serve clients. Rather than ask them their preferred
communication method and frequency, you just assume that you will do it the way
you always do it. You expect your client to adjust to you and you’re surprised
when your way is considered insufficient. Could this be the beginning of a
“difficult client?” Probably not. It’s just that your autopilot ways won’t cut
it with this client and you will have to do something different—HEAVEN FORBID!!

It’s the same reason you resist accepting new software, a
new firm policy, or anything that places expectations on you that will require you
to be different. You’re simply insisting on doing things the way you’ve always
done them—known, tested, comfortable—and insufficient.

What do you mean,
get rid of my paper files? Are you NUTS!?!?!? (here come the
rationalizations). What if the server
crashes and I can’t get the information? What if I’m in a place that isn’t
internet-accessible? What if someone mistakenly deletes an important document?!

Blah blah. Give it up. No one buys your explanations. You
think you’re giving credible arguments, when you’re only protecting your
autopilot ways.

This week, look deeply when you resist something. Is it
because it will require you to be different? It just may be time to be
different.