Power Tool: Stagnation vs. Change

A Coaching Power Tool Created by Allison Garner
(Transformational Coach, UNITED STATES)

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. George Bernard Shaw

Stagnation

Stagnation is a lack of change or being still. The beauty of stagnation is, while it may not be the desired end point, there are no unknown challenges here. Just like a pond can stagnate while remaining still under the heat and light of the sun, so can we stagnate under the expectations and assumptions we put upon ourselves.

When we get stuck, we are typically in the closed mindset which helps us to avoid change. There is something in our beliefs that is tripping us up. When new ideas and thoughts about change enter our closed mindset, the brain automatically says “no thank you” like a child being offered Brussel sprouts.

We all know intellectually that there is struggle with change. When you resist change, you choose the same life you are living today. Because change automatically challenges our comfort zone, we choose not be uncomfortable, to stagnate. We choose to stand still.

Stagnation never requires you to shine a light on the dark places to build awareness. Shining a light can cause fear and anxiety, which is why stagnation is so attractive. As humans, we protect ourselves from things that are scary to us. Change can cause us to question our very thoughts and beliefs, which can feel vulnerable, like a crumbling foundation. Change is unstable and chaotic, so stagnation can feel much safer.