How to Get Over the Systems Upgrade Hump

Every time I opened my laptop over the past few months I got the spinning rainbow ball. You know, the super annoying one that says I'm working on it.

But mine was working on it so slowly I could hardly get anything done anymore.

At first I tried to use it as a patience practice. I'd breathe and practice noticing my (very real) agitation without reacting to it while waiting for that ball to let me in where I wanted to go.

But one day my boyfriend looked over my shoulder and said, "Maybe it's time to think about getting you a new computer."

Hm. That hadn't actually crossed my mind.

The truth was, I was pretty attached to my old computer. And it seemed like a lot of effort to get a new system up and running.

But despite some initial resistance, I knew it was the sane thing to do.

So I did some research. I talked to the Mac help guy. I ordered and waited. I got my old data transferred to my new machine. I reinstalled Office, found a fix for Excel sheets I couldn't write into, hunted down my hidden music library.

I had some frustrating hiccups as I got used to navigating around in my new operating system, but once the kinks got sorted out, things have been flowing so much more smoothly than they were with my old system. It was totally worth the energy to upgrade.

This is how life is.

We resist "updating our systems" because even if they're clearly totally outdated and inefficient, they're what we're used to working with.

And comfortable tends to trump unknown, even when we're aware that the way we're operating is a) really painful and b) holding us back and slowing us down.

The irony is, the investment of energy required to update our internal systems (limiting beliefs and skewed self-perceptions) is actually way less than the energy it takes to struggle through with the same old inefficiencies.

We think we're doing ourselves a favor by clinging to the old way of doing things. We convince ourselves it's too hard to change.

But isn't it actually brutally painful not to change?

How pleasant is it to keep circling the drain in the same old painful relationship patterns decade after decade?

How restful is it to keep saying you want to do x, y, or z in your life but to watch yourself not do it again and again?

How peaceful are you while you watch other people live out the kind of creative fulfillment you long for while you keep your mouth shut and pretend that kind of happiness just isn't for you?

Updating our systems takes an upfront investment of energy for sure. You have to be willing to do the work to upgrade some ways of thinking and clear out some old inner junk.

You have to commit. You have to show up for yourself again and again.

Most of all, you have to decide your happiness is worth the investment of energy necessary to kick your life into a higher gear.

But once you invest the energy to shift gears, life meets you there with all its support. Synchronicities "magically" appear. Effort stops feeling like work.

Life actually starts to feel easier.

And before you know it, the things you've always wanted that used to feel beyond your reach are suddenly appearing at your doorstep.

It wasn't magic. You started the new positive cycle the moment you decided to commit to updating your system.

Life wants to support you and fulfill your heart's desires. You just have to meet it halfway.

You're already amazing at doing hard. How would it feel to let it be ease-y for once?

Because once you get over the initial turbulence, your new system is going to make your life infinitely smoother.

So what "systems" of yours is it time to update?

(Don't worry. It's not nearly as hard as you think.)

Lots of Love,  

Melissa

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