I’ve had a few conversations of late with people looking to make a change and not sure where to start.

They certainly aren’t alone. The brutal truth is that the human brain and change don’t sit well together at all.

In fact it’s worth remembering that when it comes to mindset (individual) and culture (group) change, the brain’s natural negativity bias will scan the immediate environment for all the reasons not to make the change happen. All because it’s trying to keep you safe which it assumes, often incorrectly, means maintaining the status quo.

As for this activated part of your brain, it assumes that change will bring danger…

So we have to work doubly hard to overcome this innate wiring when it comes to making change happen successfully.

Check out our tips from CALM Design School on how to help kick start your change plans:

Start with why and make it as personal as possible.

What’s the compelling reason for wanting to make the change happen and how will it impact positively on the things you really care about it. For most people, the change will need to be linked to what are called intrinsic reward buttons such as relationships, belonging and autonomy.

Identify the burning platform.

Change comes about much more easily when the forces driving us away from a problem or towards something new become stronger than maintaining the status quo. Harness the energy of that tipping point and you’re much more likely to start to make change happen.

How important is this in your life right now?

Sometimes you might feel you want to make a change, but you simply won’t be able to prioritise it. Reflect on how important the change is right now and give it a score out of 10. You’ll need to be scoring at least an 8 if you are to make any progress.

Consider small steps to make a start.

These need to be within your control and small enough to complete successfully to give you momentum. If you keep getting stuck, try making the steps even smaller.

Establish your support team.

Change is almost impossible when we try to do it alone. Identify who or what you need to help you make a start and more importantly keep going.

If you and your business are currently going change and you’re struggling to get on the front foot, our CALM Healthcheck can help. A 60 minute session to put you back in the driving seat, click here for more information https://calminabox.co.uk/healthcheck/