The dynamic tension between a desired state and a current state is like wrapping a rubber band around your hands, then pulling them apart. If you imagine your vision being in your right hand and the current state being in your left hand, you can see how this tension builds.
Once the tension begins, there are a few possibilities as to what will happen. The farther apart the two states are, the greater the tension will become. If it is too far, the band will break and the energy will dissipate. If they are quite close, there will be very little tension between the two, and movement can be very slow.
To compound this, recognize that your current state is anchored in present conditions. Everything in your life has some connection to this state, many in places that may be hidden or really not obvious at first glance. Imagine that your left hand has hundreds of tiny threads connected to little anchors that are set in various places around you. Some of the threads are much larger, while others are almost microscopic and can be seen only through a magnifying glass. Individually, none of them would hold your hand in place. Collectively, however, they provide a very strong network to anchor your hand in place. You can see some of these threads running to everything around you. Then you take notice that they are tied to items that represent how you live your life. They run to appointments on your calendar. They are connected to the people in your social and professional network. They are connected to your current projects. They are connected to your blogs lists and RSS feeds. They are connected to every place that you currently invest your energy and attention.
Now, look at your right hand, in which your freshly formed vision resides somewhat precariously. The threads anchoring this hand are few or none. Imagine how the tension will operate on your two hands. Without further changes, eventually all of the energy you are exerting to hold your hands apart will become exhausted, and the only available choice would be for your right hand to slowly be drawn back to meet the left.
This can be called backsliding, or goal erosion, or, sometimes, lack of commitment. We know, however, that it is simply that the commitment to the current state (represented by the many threads) is very high. Remember, people are always fully committed to their current state, and that commitment extends in many directions. Some are small enough or invisible enough to require support to find and identify them. Some are large and strong enough to require assistance to remove or replace them.
Let’s go back to our example of a rubber band. Imagine you have just created your amazing and compelling vision and stretched your right hand out so that the rubber band is straining at the edge of snapping. You can see the band digging into your hands, causing the skin to discolor. You can feel the tension pulling both hands together, but your left hand suddenly stops, anchored by the network of threads and supported by the hundreds of tiny connections. It stops solidly, all pressure suddenly off of your left arm. All the tension is transferred to your right hand. You can feel the pressure moving up your arm. How long can you hold it? How long before the tension begins to draw it back to the current state?
Left like this, the odds are that you would eventually relax the tension and return back to a neutral state. So, what would you do to hold your vision and assure that it was manifested? It seems pretty obvious: you would try to reverse the situation, to immediately create a new network of anchors that are set in the vision or desired state and to release or transfer the anchors that are set in the current state. The other thing that shows up in this example is that the more help you get in doing this, the easier it becomes. All significant changes are accomplished through networks of people and forces.
Now, the subtle but profound piece to notice in this example is that the natural tension between desired and current state is what creates the change. This change can be in either direction, meaning if we set a vision and then release the tension, we basically change our minds about where we are going and return to our original state. The other direction is to actually change to match our desired state. Either one is a change. This dynamic tension exists every moment that we hold a desire that is different from current reality. If we try to force it and overwhelm the setting, we will probably only exhaust ourselves. If we recognize the natural dynamics at work and allow them to function, we can allow the change to happen naturally and actually relax into it. Simply, the difference in thought will create the opportunity to change. By creating new anchors to the desired state and releasing anchors to undesired states, we can ride the wave of change. Some of the changes will happen in big, fast ways, and others may happen in smaller, more subtle ways. Change does happen, though, and it happens continually, as long as we are persistent in the exercise of our transformational leadership. The more we think of this as an ongoing practice, the easier it is to accomplish. Remember the microtransformation. Every time we return our focus to the vision, and take action toward it, and understand the linkages of the vision, we will experience a series of microtransformation, which will eventually lead to some big ones—or even some huge ones.
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