“I always say, complacency is the kiss of death.” -Shari Redstone

All of us inherently want to be successful–to grow and become more of who we hope to be. Sometimes though, we get too busy with life that we forget to live. We settle for the life we have instead of striving for the one we could have.

We settle for okay health instead of improving it. We settle for subpar relationships with people who aren’t good for us, habits that harm our well-being, and jobs we hate. Maybe we tell ourselves the old cliché, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Well, just because something isn’t broken, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. Our life may be good, and I hope it is, but we can always make it better.

Life is meant to be lived and lived well. All of us, whether we realize it consciously or not, want to become more of who we’re meant to be. To grow and thrive in our life. To be more competent in our work, in our social relationships, and in our hobbies. Unfortunately though, we often end up settling for complacency instead of seeking challenge. I mean, if what we’re doing doesn’t seem detrimental to us, then why bother putting in the hard work necessary for growth?

 

 

Maybe the answer to that question lies with our affection for familiarity. We like the familiar, because we know what to expect, and that comforts us. Even if we work at a job we dislike, at least we know how things work. But if we took a gamble on the unknown and changed careers, then we could fail, and that scares us. So instead of seeking change, we seek comfort.

Maybe we aren’t aware that things can be better. Or, we don’t believe that they can be because we tell ourselves limiting beliefs. We tell ourselves, “I’m no good at cooking, so I’ll never be able to eat healthy.” Or, “This is the job I deserve. I’m not good enough to work at a better firm.”

We feel stuck or that we deserve our situation in life, so we accept it as how things are. We could change though, if we only realized our own worst enemy is often the one looking back at us in the mirror.

 

 

I’m Guilty Of This Too

“Complacency is a continuous struggle that we all have to fight.” -Jack Nicklaus

Years ago after graduating college something hit me—a realization that both frustrated and scared me—and it was that I had grown complacent. Frustrated because I had no clue it had happened, and scared me because I felt I had no way out. It felt as if a black hole was in my life and I couldn’t escape its pull.

I was no longer in driver seat of my life, but sitting in the passenger seat along for the ride. I truly believed I had no choice, but luckily for me, a friend pointed out I did.

He told me, “Everything you said makes it seem as though you are just surviving—going through the motions of life as if there is no alternative. There’s always a choice.” They were right. That conversation made me realize I could stay in the crappy situation I was in—one that was toxic and sucked the life out of me—or I could accept the ugly truth I was avoiding.

The truth is that I did have a say in the matter. I could stay complacent and miserable, or I could make the hard decision to change my life for the better. It was one of the harder decisions I’ve ever made, but upon looking back, I haven’t felt an ounce of regret.

 

Take the Challenge

So, I’d like to challenge you with the question:

Is there an area of life in which you’re simply getting by? One in which complacency has crept in? Have you been avoiding a tough conversation because you’re comfortable letting things slide?

Are you settling for poor health when something could be done about it? Are you settling for a crappy job when you’re capable of working somewhere better? Could things be better at work, with a relationship of yours, at home, etc., but you’re not willing to walk through discomfort to get there? As Jeff Olson says, we’re either going up on the success curve or down on the failure curve. So, which direction are you heading?

 

Greatness doesn’t come to those who are always comfortable. Heck, even semi-decentness doesn’t come to those who are comfortable.

Does this mean we never take a minute to stop and smell the roses? Of course not. There’s nothing wrong to take a minute to relax and decompress. To feel good about a job well done, but we must be mindful of being complacent. We owe it to ourselves, and those close to us, to strive to be all that we can be.