“We remain the same until the pain of remaining the same is worse than the pain of change.”

I heard someone say that in a massage class years ago, talking about chronic pain and clients’ lack of desire to change behavior that was causing dysfunction and pain.

But it applies everywhere, and I think of it all the time when I’m struggling to make change happen in my business. Even when it comes to making changes I want to make, like getting new clients or adjusting my schedule, I drag my feet.

I’ll spend all kinds of time thinking through positive changes I can make in my massage business (see “End Well and Begin Again,” Massage & Bodywork, November/December 2021, page 18), and I can set an intention, but when it comes to executing those plans, actually taking action . . . ugh. I’ll procrastinate and delay until the issue reaches a boiling point and I am forced to take action in less than ideal circumstances.

There is a certain maturity in seeing an issue and making change before the situation becomes completely untenable, before you hit a peak crisis and dysfunction. Before the pain of remaining the same becomes quite so painful. I want to be that mature, but most of us need techniques and support in place to make change happen.

Techniques to Help You Move Forward

Not every technique will suit you. But finding just one approach that works for you is a game changer.

Visual Reminders of the Change You Wish to Make and Why

Motivation is not superficial. It comes from a real desire for something. I can put sticky notes all over the house encouraging exercise and I’ll ignore them entirely while I’m looking for the remote. But if I root down to why I want to exercise, those notes will change to “Exercise so you can keep up with your grandson at the playground!” and “Strength training for a long, healthy career!”

In business, this may translate to writing income goals on your calendar on Monday of each week, or in the block of time you set aside for marketing tasks. “Email to clients = $ goals” with a picture of your vacation destination is a more effective motivator than just “Email to clients.”

Whatever it looks like for you, knowing and reminding yourself of why you want to make change can be motivating.

Start Small and Give Yourself Permission to Stop

You do not need to clear a whole weekend to reboot your marketing with the goal of getting 25 new clients. That may work for some but feel utterly impossible and overwhelming to others. Instead, plan short bursts of effort to complete tasks.

A too-big task that is tempting to ignore would be “Sort through 10 years of client files and identify inactive clients for postcard mailing.” A more realistic task would sound like “Start at the As, pull 10 inactive client files for potential contact.”

That’s it. Give yourself permission to stop before the task becomes too big and tedious. Pull the 10 files and make a plan for the next time you can conquer a task. Maybe you pull 10 more files, or maybe the next step is to order some postcards. If you’re still feeling motivated, go ahead and conquer the next step. Or not.

With this approach, there is no step too small, so it helps prevent that paralysis when faced with a big project.

Making Time to Make Change

Let’s say you know you want to change your work schedule. And you don’t want to wait until you’ve missed three of your favorite nephew’s baseball games and he gets really mad at you.

You’ll need to think about your current schedule—what you like and don’t like about it. You’ll have to figure out what the new schedule will be and decide on when to make that new schedule start.

The next steps would be deciding when you will tell clients who may be impacted by your schedule change and how you will tell them. You may decide to send an email or just tell them in person at their next appointment. Then, you may need to update your scheduling software and hours of operation in various business listings.

Each of these steps requires a small block of time. You may think you can just figure it out during breaks between clients or when you handle other business tasks, but that is vague and easy to forget or intentionally ignore.

Make an actual appointment with yourself to complete one step of the process and treat that appointment with the same respect and presence as you do a client on your table. Remember, it’s OK to keep it small and short. Just 15 minutes of dedicated thinking and note-taking on a new schedule is a win. Then, schedule an appointment for the next step.

Get Help

If you struggle to hold yourself accountable, call in a friend to help. Find a friend or colleague who is willing to meet, in person or virtually, and work on their tasks as you conquer yours. Having an accountability partner and knowing they are counting on you too is a great way to be sure you follow through.

Reward Yourself

Often, momentum is its own motivator. We accomplish a task, feel good about it, and become inspired to move even farther forward.

But that’s not always enough. If you need a cookie or time to play with your dog, give yourself that reward whenever you complete a small step. There is no victory too small to celebrate.

In order to make meaningful changes in our massage practices, we must be intentional about it. We must become comfortable with being uncomfortable. And we must create space to process change.

These techniques and habits can be learned and strengthened. And when we do that, we can achieve great things in business and in life.

takeaway: Getting to the why behind your to-do list is key, as that can be the extra motivation you need to move forward on bigger tasks.