this is all from chat GPT please paraphrase it with no AI detected. Recognizing and Overcoming Re ...
this is all from chat GPT please paraphrase it with no AI detected. Recognizing and Overcoming Resistance: A Reflection on My Story of Change In my “My Story of Change” reflection earlier this semester, I wrote about the journey of switching from being undecided to choosing Business Management as my major. At first glance, this might seem like a smooth decision, but in hindsight—and with what I’ve learned from Chapter 8 of Managing Organizational Change—it’s clear I resisted that change more than I realized. My resistance wasn’t loud or dramatic. It showed up in subtle ways: hesitation, avoidance, and indecision. According to Palmer, Dunford, and Buchanan (2022), resistance doesn’t always look like confrontation—it can be passive, involving procrastination or withholding commitment (p. 262). That’s exactly what I did. One major reason I resisted the change was a fear of loss—not loss of interest or passion, but of freedom and possibility. Staying “undecided” allowed me to explore without consequences. Declaring a major felt like narrowing down my future before I was ready. As the textbook explains, people resist change when they perceive it as working against their interests (WAMI) (Palmer et al., 2022, p. 251). I believed that choosing a path too soon might close doors, rather than open them. I now see how that mindset limited me. Rick Maurer’s concept of resistance helped me understand my own emotional hesitation. In his video, he explains Level 2 resistance as emotionally driven—stemming from fear, anxiety, or lack of trust (Maurer, 2018). I didn’t distrust the system, but I doubted myself. Would I be good enough? What if I chose wrong? My emotions clouded my logic, and that emotional resistance kept me from moving forward sooner. The TEDx Talk by Jim Hemerling also provided insight into how change can feel overwhelming unless it's people-centered. He emphasizes that successful change involves “putting people first” and empowering them to own the transformation (Hemerling, 2016). I wasn’t empowering myself. I was so focused on not making the wrong move that I delayed making any move at all. If I had looked at the change as a growth opportunity, I would have seen that choosing a major wasn’t the end of flexibility—it was the beginning of focused development. Finally, Ford and Ford (2009) suggest that resistance can be useful—it offers feedback. My resistance told me I needed reassurance, more clarity, and a reminder of my strengths. If I could go back and give myself advice, I’d say this: listen to your hesitation, but don’t let it paralyze you. Treat your resistance as a signal—not a stop sign. Ask questions, seek support, and then take the step forward. In the end, choosing Business Management has been one of the most confident decisions I’ve made. But I now understand that resistance is not always a bad thing. It can be a necessary pause that, if addressed constructively, leads to meaningful growth.
