Originally posted in our December 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter.
2021 was a year of constant change globally, and many of us found it challenging to keep pace. While work, school, and life continued, many of us felt stuck in patterns of thought and behavior. These patterns might not have aligned with our pre-pandemic goals. What’s more, when we do change our behavior, it isn’t always in a way that makes us feel fulfilled or engaged in our lives. So, why is it so hard to change ourselves or so hard to adapt to a changing environment?
Scholars call this difficulty immunity to change. In the book Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization, we learn that even when motivated strongly to change by health or economic factors, many individuals will not change. It goes beyond motivation and desire and into the personal and collective beliefs we hold. This book gives us a starting point to understand these limiting beliefs and how to move past them.
In researching the topic, we also found a beneficial tool. The article and accompanying worksheet ask us to consider what commitments we are holding onto that keep us from change and what goals we want to set to make changes. Along with several other prompts and activities, we find this an important tool to figure out the what, why, and how of changing our behaviors.