Change = D x V x P < cost

Change happens when there is:

D – high dissatisfaction with the current situation

V – a vision of how things might be better in the future

P – a planned process to move from dissatisfaction to the vision of the future 

C – the cost (financial, emotional, energy, time, comfort, etc.) of change is seen to be less than the cost of staying the same.

Human beings are creatures of habit. We love routine, the status quo. We don’t readily leave our comfort zones. The reality is nothing stays the same. You’re either moving forwards or backwards; growing or decaying.

Defining moments shake us out of complacency. Crises give us the opportunity to examine the way things are and chart better ways forward. As Winston Churchill famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”.

In this present moment, the D and the C of The Change Equation are already in place. We’re all Dissatisfied with the current situation. We all know the Cost of staying the same is unacceptable.

The Vision and the Planned Process for moving toward the vision are the missing pieces.

The V and the P will look different for everyone. We’re all in the same crisis, but we’re all experiencing it differently. And that’s okay.

The most important thing is to have a vision and a process for reaching your vision. Don’t let this crisis go to waste.