With the launch of Brandon Green Chapter2Ventures, I’ve been thinking a lot about transitions and how hard they can sometimes be. I know I’m not alone. In April, nearly four million employees quit their jobs and if that continues, 25% of the American workforce could change this year which would be a record.
While change is often warranted and can be very good for both the individual and organization, the problem is too many are leaping without understanding a very important point: change is an internal job and if done without the hard work of assessing long term goals and who you want to become, it can result in disappointing outcomes and missed opportunities.
It is undoubtedly easier to leap to what appears to be greener pastures, thinking your problems will be solved “over there”. But like most things in life, time gives you a clearer perspective and I’ve learned greener pastures are developed by thoughtfully bridging lessons, networks, and opportunities together as you grow, rather than dismantling what you’ve already built. Changing your environment alone is powerful, but that doesn’t let you off the hook from doing the internal work necessary to maximize growth opportunities.
Yes, the internal work is hard, debatably the hardest part of change. When I embark on what I know is going to be challenging, I remember the simple and wise words of my Grandfather, who built a very successful mining supply business in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Hard things are worth doing because when it’s all said and done you want to know you accepted the challenges life presented and did your very best to make them opportunities for good.
