Making Shifts That Stick

Why good intentions stall and what to do about it.

We’ve all been told to set “goals.” SMART goals. Big hairy audacious goals. Yearly goals. Career goals.

Goals have their place. They can help you get clear and give you something to aim for. But sometimes they feel forced. Like another box to tick. Like a target someone else has set, not something that really flows from you.

That’s why here, we’ll talk about Shifts.

A Shift is different. It’s not about chasing a number or forcing yourself into a narrow box. A Shift is about direction. It’s a meaningful change that matters to you. Something that stretches you, helps you grow and makes your life or work richer.

A Shift still takes effort. It will probably bring discomfort. But it feels more like moving with intention and flow than grinding your way through a target that doesn’t inspire you.

Your Shift Checklist

  • I genuinely want this.

  • It will make a real difference for me.

  • I’m willing to do hard things and feel some discomfort to make it happen.

Step 1

Capture your Shift

  • My Shift is: __________________________________________

  • Why it matters to me: __________________________________

  • What will be better if this Shift sticks: _____________________

  • Discomfort I am willing to accept: ________________________

Example

  • Shift: Bring my strengths into play more often at work.

  • Why it matters: This is how I do my best work without running myself into the ground.

  • Discomfort I accept: I may need to talk about my strengths more openly and try new approaches.

Step 2

What’s blocking your Shift: technical or adaptive challenge

Most Shifts stall for one of two reasons.

Technical challenge
There’s a knowable fix. You might be missing knowledge, skill, a tool or a resource. Once you close the gap, you can move forward.
Examples: don’t know the new system, unclear on the process, no time blocked.

Adaptive challenge
The blocker lives in mindset, identity or emotion. There isn’t a checklist fix. You’ll need to learn, test and grow your way through it.
Examples: fear of judgment, discomfort with visibility, stories about what “good” looks like.

Identify your blocker

  • What’s stalling your shift right now?

  • Technical. Adaptive. Mixed?

Step 3

Clear the simple stuff first

If it’s technical, close the gap

  • What knowledge or skill is missing?

  • Who can I ask or learn from?

  • What resource or tool do I need?

  • What’s the exact next step and when will I do it?

    Build support and accountability

  • Who will I tell about my Shift so I’m not doing this alone?

  • How will I ask them to support me? (Check in, cheer me on, hold me to it.)



These two checklists deal with the obvious blockers. If you’ve worked through them and still aren’t moving forward, you’re almost certainly facing an adaptive challenge. And that’s where the deeper work begins.

Step 4

When it isn’t technical: Immunity to Change

Sometimes we say we want a Shift and still don’t do it. Not laziness. Not lack of willpower. Often it’s because a quieter part of us is protecting us from something that feels risky. Harvard scholars Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey call this an Immunity to Change.  A built-in protection system that keeps the status quo in place even when we want to change. It looks at the pull between your visible commitment and your hidden, competing commitment.

The model in plain language

  • Visible commitment. The Shift you say you want.

  • Hidden competing commitment. An unspoken promise to yourself to stay safe.

  • Big assumption. The deeper story about how the world works,  that makes the hidden commitment feel necessary.

    When these collide, you get an “immunity.” Your system defends against the very change you want.

Everyday example

  • Visible commitment. I want to get healthier so will go to the gym straight after work.

  • Hidden competing commitment. I am committed to not being seen as someone who slacks off.

  • Big assumption. Respected professionals always prioritise work over personal needs; leaving at five signals low commitment.

  • Result. I stay at my desk. Not because I don’t care about my health, but because I’m protecting my reputation.

Work example

  • Visible commitment. I will speak about my strengths with confidence.

  • Hidden competing commitment. I am committed to not being seen as arrogant or self-promoting.

  • Big assumption. Leaders let results speak for themselves. Talking about strengths turns people off.

  • Result. I don’t talk about strengths, others miss what I bring, I miss out on opportunities.

SIDE NOTE: What does “talking to your strengths” actually look like?


Talking about your strengths doesn’t mean reciting them like a CV. It’s about weaving them naturally into how you describe your work and decisions. For example:

  • Instead of saying: “One of my strengths is strategic thinking.”

  • You might say: “What I loved about this project was stepping back to see the bigger picture and connecting the dots across teams. That’s when I do my best work.”

  • That way you’re naming the strength, but in context, showing others how it lives in your work and the type of work where you’re going to thrive.

Step 5

Work with your hidden commitments

Surface what’s really holding you back and start loosening its grip.

Step 1. Name your visible commitment

What’s the Shift you want to make?
Example: I want to go to the gym after work on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Step 2. Spot your hidden competing commitment

What protective promise is pulling you in the opposite direction?
Example: I’m committed to not being seen as someone who slacks off.

Step 3. Identify the big assumption

What’s the deeper story or worldview that makes the hidden commitment feel necessary?
Example: Respected professionals always prioritise work over personal needs; leaving at five signals low commitment.

Step 4. Design a small, safe test

What’s one action you can try to see if this assumption always holds?
Example: This week I’ll leave at five one day, go to the gym and notice what happens.

Step 5. Track the evidence

What actually happened? Did the worst-case scenario show up?
Example: No one noticed. Two teammates also left at five. I felt better the next morning.

Step 6. Reflect and decide

  • What cracks did I see in the old story?

  • What new evidence do I have?

  • What’s my next small test?

Step 6

Reflection prompts to deepen your learning

Use these questions to draw out the insights from your tests:

  • When did my feared outcome not happen?

  • How did it feel to act in line with my visible commitment?

  • What surprised me?

  • What new balanced assumption might fit the facts better?

Your one-page Shift Plan

Pull it all together here. This becomes your guide and your accountability.

My meaningful Shift is

Why it matters

What will be better when this sticks

Discomfort I accept

Main blocker I face
Technical / Adaptive / Mixed (circle one)

If technical: the gap I need to close

If adaptive: my hidden commitment

The big assumption I am testing

This week’s small, safe test

Who I’ll tell for support