For changes to be of any true value, they’ve got to be lasting and consistent. We’ve all experienced
change for a moment, only to feel let down and disappointed in the end. In fact, many people attempt
change with a sense of fear and dread because unconsciously they believe the changes will only be
temporary. A prime example of this is someone who needs to begin dieting, but finds himself putting it
off, primarily because he unconsciously knows that whatever pain he endures in order to create
the change will bring him only a short-term reward. For most of my life I’ve pursued what I consider to
be the organizing principles of lasting change, and you’ll learn many of these and how to utilize them
in the pages that follow. But for now, I’d like to share with you three elementary principles of change
that you and I can use immediately to change our lives. While these principles are simple, they are
also extremely powerful when they are skillfully applied. These are the exact same changes that an
individual must make in order to create personal change, that a company must make in order to
maximize its potential, and that a country must make in order to carve out its place in the world. In
fact, as a world community these are the changes that we all must make to preserve the
quality of life around the globe.