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Abstract

in our life or an organisation want to make a change on their culture, we focus our efforts in our behaviours, in our conduct. But we do not take the time to review and refine our beliefs, feelings, and mindset.To explain this, I want to share with you a personal story.I struggled with my weight my entire life. In the last ten years, my weight fluctuated between 130 and 85 kilos. And, going up and down ten or more kilos between one year and another.What usually happened is:I motivated myself to improve my weight, doing more exercise, eating healthy, and eliminating bad habits. Then, months later, I relaxed again, and go back to eat junk food, drink alcohol, no exercise, and increment bad habits.What occurred to me is that I tried to change on a behavioural level. I did (be aware of the verb) everything I needed to do to improve my health. And during a period, it will help me to achieve the expected outcome.However, I was not making any change in my mindset and beliefs. And as a consequence, the difference was not sustainable.I could be eating a salad or running 10k every day. But in my mind, I wanted to eat a pizza, drink a coke, and stay at home watching tv rather than going out for a run.Then, I reframe my approach to the problem, and I started to work more on my motivations and mentality rather than just on my behaviours.What I needed to change is the way I think about the problem, the why. Only when we

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are able to identify the why, we will make genuine changes to our behaviours, or our how.The process that I followed, and that I invited you to try is to reflect around the interns elements that will help you on your journey.This is not easy. If we think about this as an iceberg, above the water, you have the behaviours, actions, and conducts that you can see. And below the water, all the internal elements that hold you back.You need to work on that part of the iceberg to unleash your change. You need to have:A Reason To:<ul><li>Why do you want to make this change?</li><li>Why is so important to you?</li></ul>A Desire To:<ul><li>What do you genuinely want to achieve?</li><li>What keeps you awake at night around this?</li></ul>A Commitment To:<ul><li>What commitment can you make with yourself to do this change?</li><li>Who will make you accountable for that commitment?</li></ul>A Way To:<ul><li>What options do you have?</li><li>What obstacles can get in the way?</li></ul>The Support To<ul><li>Who is with you on this change?</li><li>What elements (internal or external) do you have to help you to be successful?</li></ul>Do not think that this story ended with me losing 50 kilos or having a six-pack. No, I am not the fittest person on the Earth. But I have been able to manage my weight problem much better. And most important, enjoying the journey.</article></body>

What Does It Take To Change

The power of our beliefs

How many times have we tried to make changes in our life? Probably all the time we are trying to do that, because as human beings we want to improve, be happier, eliminate concerns, and live a more pleasant life.

Now, how many times we make the change sustainable?

In the book, Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organisation, Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey shared a study that says that when doctors tell heart patients, they will die if they don’t change their habits, only one in seven will be able to follow through successfully. Desire and motivation aren’t enough: even when it’s literally a matter of life or death, the ability to change remains maddeningly elusive.

This is an excellent example of how hard it is to change. Probably the most of those patients wanted to change, but they didn’t have the right tools or model to do it.

What usually happens, is that when we want to make a change in our life or an organisation want to make a change on their culture, we focus our efforts in our behaviours, in our conduct. But we do not take the time to review and refine our beliefs, feelings, and mindset.

To explain this, I want to share with you a personal story.

I struggled with my weight my entire life. In the last ten years, my weight fluctuated between 130 and 85 kilos. And, going up and down ten or more kilos between one year and another.

What usually happened is:

I motivated myself to improve my weight, doing more exercise, eating healthy, and eliminating bad habits. Then, months later, I relaxed again, and go back to eat junk food, drink alcohol, no exercise, and increment bad habits.

What occurred to me is that I tried to change on a behavioural level. I did (be aware of the verb) everything I needed to do to improve my health. And during a period, it will help me to achieve the expected outcome.

However, I was not making any change in my mindset and beliefs. And as a consequence, the difference was not sustainable.

I could be eating a salad or running 10k every day. But in my mind, I wanted to eat a pizza, drink a coke, and stay at home watching tv rather than going out for a run.

Then, I reframe my approach to the problem, and I started to work more on my motivations and mentality rather than just on my behaviours.

What I needed to change is the way I think about the problem, the why. Only when we are able to identify the why, we will make genuine changes to our behaviours, or our how.

The process that I followed, and that I invited you to try is to reflect around the interns elements that will help you on your journey.

This is not easy. If we think about this as an iceberg, above the water, you have the behaviours, actions, and conducts that you can see. And below the water, all the internal elements that hold you back.

You need to work on that part of the iceberg to unleash your change. You need to have:

A Reason To:

Why do you want to make this change?
Why is so important to you?

A Desire To:

What do you genuinely want to achieve?
What keeps you awake at night around this?

A Commitment To:

What commitment can you make with yourself to do this change?
Who will make you accountable for that commitment?

A Way To:

What options do you have?
What obstacles can get in the way?

The Support To

Who is with you on this change?
What elements (internal or external) do you have to help you to be successful?

Do not think that this story ended with me losing 50 kilos or having a six-pack. No, I am not the fittest person on the Earth. But I have been able to manage my weight problem much better. And most important, enjoying the journey.