Fix It or Leave It

As the old saying goes “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” But what about if it is broke? Easy right, of course you’d fix it? And if it couldn’t be fixed, you’d throw it out, maybe replace it with a new one. If we’re talking about things, easy choice. But if we’re talking about relationships, habits and routines? Easier said than done. Think about this: your car stops running, you bring it to the mechanic and they tell you it’s fine and doesn’t need fixing. What do you do? You’d say you’re crazy, this isn’t fine, it won’t run! So either fix it or I’ll leave and take it somewhere else where it’ll get fixed! Easy choice.

Now let’s think about these next few situations. You’re sitting in your cubicle, making calls, sending emails, that familiar feeling in your stomach, your boss comes by to ask about the meeting you just had and all you can do is think about how far away 5:00pm is. Finally the day ends, you get in your car and exhale, the relief takes over, you drive home to enjoy your evening. As the night closes and you go to bed that feeling starts to settle in again and comes back full force when your alarm goes of at 7:00am. Does this situation seem like it’s fine or needs fixing? The answer is clear. But how many of us are in this situation and don’t fix it?Find a way to fix the job or leave it. The reasons why you don’t fix it are varied, but the bottom line is, if it needs fixing, find a way to fix it.

Let’s look at another scenario. You or your spouse/partner get home from work, you’re exhausted, the kids are running around and, doesn’t matter what it’s about, money, dinner, kids, etc, you start arguing for what seems like the 50th time this week (maybe it really is 50). It’s escalates, you both say things you shouldn’t, the blame game starts, then, here come the guilt trips and round and round we go. It’s goes on and on and finally comes to an end. Maybe it ends with one of you walking away, maybe you finally talk about it, maybe you just ignore it until it inevitably happens again, tomorrow, next week, who knows when, but you know it’s coming again. This time it may be a new catalyst, maybe not, maybe the same guilt trips, maybe not. But the fight is the same and the results don’t change. You could be trying to fix it, maybe they are, maybe no one is. But for sure you both need to be working on it. Then of course, it happens again. Is this a situation that needs fixing or it’s good as it is? Pretty simple answer again. But again so many people living with it instead of fixing it or leaving it.

I could give you scenarios about every area, health, money, etc. But the idea is the same: if something needs to be fixed, you have to fix it because no one else will do it for you. Only you know your situations and how they can get better, but however you choose to improve them, know that you CAN improve them. I’m not telling you it’s easy, I can assure you from experience it’s not. I have changed careers and schools, worked on relationships, improved my health and tons of other areas because they were broken and needed fixing and I was out of excuses for why it was ok. You wouldn’t accept a broken car as being fine, stop accepting your broken relationships, jobs and health. Fix it or leave it.

We get too comfortable, too content with our routines, and what is normal to us that sometimes we maybe don’t even see that it needs fixing. Take a deep hard look at your routines, habits, relationships and feelings and figure out what needs fixing, because there’s certainly something. If you know it’s not right then fix it. Don’t make excuses as to why you’re feelings aren’t valid and don’t let someone else tell you that they aren’t, they are. Get the courage to take hold of your life and make it better. We all have things to fix, because we’re all perfectly imperfect. There’s always work to do, so get at it.