Have you ever been totally content with the status quo, lacking the desire and hunger to do more than what is required to just get through? When you do not go beyond a certain expectation but just want to settle, that's when complacency sets in.
Complacency is all around us and can exists in any area of our life especially when we give it the opportunity. It is the reason why it seems difficult to win honors in a field twice in a row and why its difficult for some persons to remain at the top of the mountain they've worked so hard to build and climb.
It usually happens after some successes, when you begin to feel comfortable and confident enough to stop working harder. Complacency is a state of mind where an individual gets too comfortable with his/her current state to even venture into a new project or take up new responsibilities.
It is the absence of an urge in you to aim for more, dream bigger and refuse to settle for status quo. It is that point where we no longer grow but just simply maintain.
According to Erin Falconer, complacency is like a rust out which is the slow death that follows when we stop making choices that keep life alive, the feeling of numbness that stems from taking the safe way, not accepting challenges but surrendering to the day to day routine.
Have you ever found it difficult to step out and improve or add value to yourself, your relationship, your career or your organization? Do you feel you have arrived and there's nothing more to look forward to? Checkmate this silent killer because it can lead to ruin and decay.
Causes of Complacency:
1) Doing the exact same thing on a continual basis;
When you keep doing the same things over and over again, you seem to get accustomed to the process. If you make no attempts to add or remove or makes adjustments here and there, you tend to settle into that process. Thus making room for complacency...
Think about this; what's that thing you've done so well that you can now close your eyes to do?
Watch it!!!
2) No target and expectation;
When there is no expectations and targets you're working towards, nothing you desire to achieve at the end of your day, you tend to settle and relax in your comfort zone.
When there's nothing you hope to achieve from making a move towards a certain project, you automatically don't put in all the effort. This results in complacency.
Watch it!!!
What's your target for today?
3) Failure to review past incidents:
When an event takes place, its always good to have a review of that situation. This helps you identify where errors were made and make the necessary corrections. Thus avoiding a reoccurrence.
However, when you fail to review previous situations, you keep making the same mistakes. This leads you to a life of complacency.
4) Tendency to make excuses:
People are often ready to blame other people and things other than themselves for their mistakes.
Hence, your ability to cast the blame elsewhere when something doesn't go well and when you don't achieve your goal leads you to being complacent.
It makes you not prepared to do what it takes to succeed because your mind is already thinking of whose fault it is that you didn't.
Dealing with complacency;
Complacency in life feels isolating and overwhelming. Truth is, no one enjoys feeling like their life is at a standstill with reduced motivation and low self esteem. But however complacency makes you feel, the good news is that YOU can deal with it..
1)Recognize and acknowledge when you become complacent. When you don't, its more difficult to pay attention to it.
Do you suddenly lack inner strength, do you find yourself taking things for granted, are you settling for just "good enough", are you doing less of what won you success in the past? If your answer is yes in one or all of these questions, pay attention to it.
2) Change your view of your situation and remind yourself of your ability to achieve anything you desire when you seriously need it.
Look on the bright side.
3) Form new habits: Change something in your daily routine. Remove anything that distracts or stops you from forward and make an effort to learn something new.
4)Establish personal standard by clearly defining what is acceptable and what is not. Avoid making excuses and pursue your goals relentlessly.
5) Be mindful of your time. Remember that you don't have all the time in the world and that a lot of people are looking up to you. So make everyday count. Set time sensitive goals and attaching deadlines to them.
6) Always rise from a fall. Yes your goals are time sensitive but when situations arise and you're unable to meet up with your deadline, forgive yourself and let it go. Don't remain where you fell rather take a step forward, strive to be more disciplined today than yesterday. Take note of what you did wrong, learn from it and make the required corrections and keep pushing forward.
7) Make your demands. Have an idea of what you want out of life at any time and don't be afraid to ask for whatever you want and need to have a better life.
Thank you for taking time to read our posts. We hope it helped. We'd love to see your comments in the section below.
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