Your Life Doesn’t Get Better by Chance, It Gets Better by Change: The Economics of Transformation
Jim Rohn, the godfather of personal development, gifted us this nugget: “Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.” And while his motivational vibes are as potent as ever, let’s strip away the motivational poster sheen and dive into why this statement is an economic truth. We’re about to explore the very fabric of what it means to change your life — and how it has nothing to do with luck.
In business and life, waiting for things to get better is akin to waiting for the weather to improve. You can huddle under an umbrella, sure, but those who thrive build cities that harness the power of the elements. They build, they adapt, they change.
Chapter 1: The Myth of Chance (Or, Why You’re Not a Lottery Winner)
First, let’s get real about chance. Humans are hardwired to hope for a stroke of luck — a psychological quirk often referred to as the “gambler’s fallacy.” It’s why casinos rake in billions and why people still think investing in crypto is somehow “safer” than putting money in an index fund. We’re addicted to chance, betting that the future is some roll of dice that will turn up in our favor. The truth? Life doesn’t work like that. If you’re standing by waiting for a lucky break, you’re essentially putting your success in the hands of a cosmic slot machine.
Let’s take a brief economic detour. Studies in behavioral economics reveal that most people are terrible at calculating risk. This is why lottery tickets still fly off the shelves despite the odds being laughably against you. In fact, your chances of winning the lottery are about 1 in 292 million — yet millions cling to the idea that “maybe, just maybe” they’ll be the one. Here’s the kicker: the same psychological crutch bleeds into how we approach life, work, and relationships.
Consider the odds stacked against you, and ask yourself this: do you really want to gamble your future on that 1-in-a-million chance? Or, would you rather start investing in small, incremental changes that statistically yield compound interest over time? Spoiler: the latter is how most successful people make it.
Chapter 2: Why Change Hurts (But It’s the Only Path Forward)
Here’s the thing about change — people hate it. It’s like the vegetables of personal growth. We know it’s good for us, but give us the option to binge on Netflix and instant gratification, and we’re all in. Change is uncomfortable because it forces us to confront the very thing we fear most: the unknown.
Let’s zoom out a bit. In the business world, companies that refuse to change go extinct. Kodak, Blockbuster, Sears — all fell victim to what Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen coined as “The Innovator’s Dilemma.” These companies were dominant, untouchable even, but they refused to adapt to market shifts. They were too comfortable, too focused on maintaining the status quo, and too slow to innovate.
If corporations — behemoths with thousands of employees and billions in revenue — can be felled by inertia, what does that say about you? Kodak could have been Instagram. Blockbuster could have been Netflix. But they didn’t change. And now they’re museum exhibits in the hall of business history.
Now, apply that to your life. Are you sticking with the same routines, the same mindset, the same excuses? Change, when you get down to it, is about discomfort. It’s about accepting that what got you here won’t get you there. And “there” is wherever the hell you want to go next. Want to start a company? Lose weight? Improve your relationships? All of it requires confronting the pain of change. But here’s the good news: discomfort is temporary. Failure to change, however, is forever.
Chapter 3: The Economics of Change (Yes, It Can Be Measured)
If I told you that change is a commodity, you’d probably laugh. Change doesn’t sound like oil, gold, or stocks, but in fact, it’s arguably the most important asset you can invest in. And just like a good investment, change accrues interest over time. It compounds.
To understand this, let’s dip into the world of economics. There’s a concept called “opportunity cost.” Every time you make a decision, you forgo the next best alternative. If you decide to spend $5 on a latte, the opportunity cost might be the $5 you could have put into your retirement account. Now apply this to your life: every day you choose not to change, the opportunity cost is your potential. You’re losing the return on investment you would have gained by taking that first uncomfortable step toward a better future.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Positive change, like investing in your skills, health, or mindset, doesn’t just pay back the initial investment — it compounds. Think of this like interest. The more you invest in yourself, the more exponential your returns. It’s why Jeff Bezos went from shipping books out of his garage to being one of the wealthiest people on the planet. He didn’t start with billions. He started with a small idea and a relentless pursuit of change.
If you’re not changing, you’re stagnating. And in the modern economy, stagnation is death. Whether it’s your career, your fitness, or your relationships, the principles of compound interest apply. Small, consistent changes lead to large, transformative outcomes. That’s not motivational jargon — it’s math.
Chapter 4: The Change You Choose vs. The Change You Don’t
Now, here’s the uncomfortable truth: change is going to happen whether you like it or not. The question is, will you control it, or will it control you?
Take the recent pandemic as a prime example. In the blink of an eye, the world was thrust into a state of forced change. Companies had to adapt to remote work, individuals had to rethink their health, and entire industries — travel, hospitality, retail — had to pivot or perish. The pandemic didn’t ask for permission to change the world; it simply did. Those who adapted thrived. Those who didn’t? Well, ask any small business owner who refused to move their operations online.
Change doesn’t care about your feelings. It’s inevitable, and it’s indifferent. Whether it’s a global pandemic, technological disruption, or a shift in consumer behavior, change is always around the corner, waiting to test your adaptability. You don’t get to opt-out. You only get to choose whether you’ll be proactive or reactive. Will you initiate change, or will you be a victim of it?
Being proactive means taking control of the narrative. It means consistently asking yourself, “What can I do today that will make tomorrow better?” It’s the difference between being Blockbuster, who waited for the market to change them, and Netflix, who chose to change the market. Spoiler alert: you want to be Netflix.
Chapter 5: The Power of Incremental Change (aka How You Actually Get Sh*t Done)
Here’s where people screw up. They think change has to be big and bold. We’ve been sold this lie that the only change that matters is the kind that happens in dramatic, overnight fashion. Quit your job, sell your house, move to Bali, start that YouTube channel. Burn the ships, right? Wrong.
Real, lasting change doesn’t happen in grand gestures. It happens incrementally. It’s waking up 15 minutes earlier every day to work on your side hustle. It’s adding one more rep to your workout every week. It’s having one uncomfortable conversation with your partner every month to strengthen your relationship. These small actions compound, just like interest in a bank account.
Let’s take a classic business example: Amazon. When Jeff Bezos started Amazon, it wasn’t an “everything store.” It was a website that sold books. Just books. Bezos didn’t try to conquer the world in one fell swoop. He started small, iterated, and expanded. Every step forward was a calculated, incremental change that compounded into what Amazon is today — a company so powerful it makes government regulators break out in hives.
And here’s the beauty of incremental change: it’s manageable. It doesn’t overwhelm you. It doesn’t force you into paralysis by analysis. You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to be 1% better than yesterday. In the words of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, “Small habits don’t add up, they compound.”
Chapter 6: How Change Affects Others (And Why You Shouldn’t Give a F*ck)
Let’s get into the psychology of change, or more specifically, how your personal change threatens others. See, when you start changing, other people get uncomfortable. Your transformation becomes a mirror for their stagnation. They’ll say things like, “You’ve changed,” as if it’s a bad thing. (By the way, that’s the point.)
Here’s the truth: the people around you will react to your change in one of two ways. They’ll either be inspired and step up their game, or they’ll try to pull you back down to their level. The latter group isn’t evil; they’re just scared. Your growth challenges their comfort zone. When you evolve, you force others to face their own lack of progress, and that’s not a pleasant experience for anyone.
The key is to recognize that their discomfort has nothing to do with you. Don’t let someone else’s fear of change become your ceiling. If you surround yourself with people who are also committed to change, the discomfort fades. Instead, you’ll find yourself in an environment where growth is the norm, not the exception.
Chapter 7: Change and Legacy (The Final ROI)
Let’s talk about the endgame. Change is
not just about making more money, getting fitter, or finding happiness. It’s about legacy. What do you want to leave behind?
Here’s where the economics of change become deeply personal. Legacy is the ultimate return on investment. It’s what you leave for the world after you’re gone. And guess what? Legacy isn’t left by those who waited for luck or chance to hand them greatness. It’s left by those who took control of their narrative, who embraced change, who built something bigger than themselves.
The harsh truth is that if you’re not actively changing, you’re not actively building your legacy. You’re just coasting. And no one remembers coasters. They remember disruptors. They remember the people who had the audacity to change the game, not the ones who played by the rules and hoped for the best.
So, where do you want to land? Do you want to look back and realize that your life was a series of missed opportunities, risks not taken, and changes avoided? Or do you want to be remembered as someone who didn’t wait for things to get better by chance — but made them better through intentional, calculated, and sometimes uncomfortable change?
Change is Inevitable, Progress is Optional
Jim Rohn was right. Life doesn’t get better by chance. It gets better by change. And change, much like compound interest, is something you invest in over time. It’s a series of small decisions that accumulate into something far greater than the sum of their parts. You don’t need to wait for luck. You don’t need a break. You need discipline, discomfort, and a relentless commitment to progress.
Chance is for the lazy. Change is for the ambitious.
Brian Fink is the author of Talk Tech To Me. He takes on the stress and strain of complex technology concepts and simplifies them for the modern recruiter. Fink’s impassioned wit and humor tackle the highs and lows of technical recruiting with a unique perspective — a perspective intended to help you find, engage, and partner with professionals.
