Are you Ready for a Change?
Most of us want change without the part that actually creates it: discomfort. We hope for transformation that feels smooth, convenient, and familiar — but nothing changes if nothing changes. Read that twice. Maybe three times.
When you look back on the turning points of your life, you can usually trace them to a moment when something shifted. A thought. An attitude. A behaviour. That small internal adjustment set off a chain reaction that rerouted your path. Yet in the moment, the beginning of a shift is often hard to recognize. It usually feels less like clarity and more like friction.
We are wired for homeostasis, gravitating toward the emotional and cognitive patterns that help us feel steady. In a digitally saturated world, where distraction, escape, and numbing are always one tap away, our drive for comfort becomes even stronger. And that very instinct can keep us stuck.
What it Means to be Change Ready
Change readiness is not about willpower, incredible motivation, or even perfect clarity. It begins with understanding why change feels threatening and where your discomfort shows up. To be change ready, you have to start with mindset.
A mindset shift occurs the moment you reconsider a familiar narrative:
“I can’t get through my day without checking my messages constantly.”
“I’m someone who always needs to be available.”
“Discomfort means something is wrong.”
Think of it as a simple sequence: Mindset to Behaviours to Outcomes. Trying to change actions while keeping the same worldview is like renovating a house without touching the foundation. It may look better for a moment, but it won’t last.
Leaving the Comfort Zone
We talk a lot about comfort zones, but not enough about the mechanics of leaving them. When you step out, the body and mind object. You feel friction and you reach for familiar escapes. You avoid, you distract, you numb, you retreat. This is not proof that you cannot change. It is evidence that change has started.
To make change sustainable, you need a clear pull toward a desired future rather than a constant push away from discomfort. Psychiatrist Phil Stutz calls this the pull of the future in The Tools. Your desire for what is on the other side needs to outweigh the desire to stay in your comfort zone. This is not about iron discipline. It is about defining a reason that will draw you forward.
Why Mindset Matters More Than Willpower
Many attempts at behaviour change fail not because we’re weak, but because we’re human. Avoiding discomfort is a basic neurological strategy for conserving energy. If the goal isn’t emotionally compelling enough – or if the internal narrative hasn’t shifted – the old behaviour wins. You don’t need more willpower. You need a mindset aligned with the outcome you want.
Expect Resistance and Respond Differently
Resistance often shows up as soon as you begin. Frustration. Self-doubt. Overwhelm. When it appears, your job is not to convince yourself that change is good. Instead, do two things:
- Acknowledge your emotions.
Name what you feel. Labelling helps your brain exit threat mode. - Regain a sense of agency.
Discomfort often signals that you feel powerless, not incapable. Small choices restore control. For example, when your phone pings, choose to wait two minutes before checking it. You are not denying the urge. You are training for agency in real time.
Reclaim Your Locus of Control
A key mindset shift is moving from an external locus of control (“life happens to me”) to an internal locus of control (“life happens for me”).
Say it aloud: This isn’t happening to me but for me.
Notice the subtle but profound shift in this statement. When life happens for you instead of to you, you are pulling yourself forward to the outcome you want.
So Where Do You Begin?
Start with the mindset, not the behaviour. Change begins by identifying something you want — a clearer state of mind, a healthier relationship with your devices, or more balance in your day. But before any behaviour shifts, mindset must shift first.
- Expect friction.
- Step outside your comfort zone.
- Use tools that create forward pull.
- Acknowledge resistance instead of fighting it.
- Reclaim agency by shifting to an internal locus of control.
In the next article, we’ll explore how to take those mindset shifts and convert them into behaviours you can sustain — especially in moments when old habits try to reclaim control.
*Disclaimer: Offline.now offers educational coaching tips, not medical or therapeutic advice; please consult a qualified health professional for personal, clinical or health concerns.*
Laura Barker is Director, Coaching and Leadership Development at TalentRise. She writes for Offline.now on change, habit formation, and digital wellbeing.
Created in partnership with TalentRise. TalentRise supports leaders and teams in building the mindsets that make behaviour change stick.
