Why “Change the Buzz” Bees?

Because “Bee-ing” is the single most important, and least understood step in any change involving complex social interactions.  Consider these statistics as evidence of our misconceptions about change.

1. 95% of those who lose weight on a diet regain it.

2. 25% of people abandon New Year’s resolutions within one week and 60% do so within six months.

3. The average person makes the same resolution 10 times without success.

4. 70% of organizational change initiatives ultimately fail.

These examples are not evidence of a lack of desire or commitment but one of the misunderstanding of one simple truth.  We cannot consistently act differently than we see ourselves to be.  It is our self image that drives successful change not disciplined or determined effort regardless of how well intentioned.  This is very good news, but it will only work if we let go of the misguided belief that doing is more important than being.  The key to lasting transformation is to picture the future you want as if the goal were already accomplished.  Make the picture as vivid and sensory rich as possible, repeat it often and then let go of the outcome.

Instead of following the “just do it” proclamations of the perpetual treadmill generation “Bee-ing” requires feeding our awareness of the benefits of a new way of living, working, exercising, eating or any other state we may have previously worked hard to attain.  It is this working hard itself that is part of the problem.  Working hard implies a resistance against which we must fight and anything we push against pushes back.  It is true in all of nature for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The key then is to picture the “Bee-ing” within us.  Whatever picture we create for ourselves (or allow others to create for us) the more we are pulled in that direction.  Good or bad it is not proclamations but pictures that have the greatest pull.  If we envision stress, struggle, pain, despair, resentment or regret we create more of those experiences in our lives.  Unfortunately because our primitive physiology these fear based pictures carry the most “emotional weight” capturing a disproportionate share of our already overwhelmed attention span.  This is why the media spends untold $ millions everyday to feed our emotions with fear and conflict.   The key then is finding ways to quickly and consistently create an awareness of the ways we weigh ourselves down through simple ways to redirect our attention away from those thoughts and images that detract and de-energize towards those that encourage and inspire.  Each  month Change the Buzz™ clients get a new set of Bee images, related articles and talking points to encourage meaning-full conversations about critical values.