Change Academy

There’s an important distinction to be made between top level goals and lower level tactical goals. Often, getting fixated on achieving your tactical goals can lead to being tenaciousness for the sake of being tenacious.We certainly don’t mean to suggest that tenaciousness is not a valuable trait.  Being committed to doing what it takes or sticking it out when the going gets rough is definitely a characteristic of people who reach their goals. But sometimes, being tenacious requires us to be flexible. And sometimes giving up is the best thing you can do. Takeaways: Tenacity is a valuable trait when it is applied to the correct tactic.You can stay steadfast in your desire to reach a higher level goal but remain flexible in your path to get there.It can be painful to give up, especially if you have been working in a particular tactic for a while but it can still be your best path forward. As tricky as this concept can seem, if you are honest with yourself and spend some time evaluating your situation, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort. Lab Experiment: Is there a project that you feel you’ve been spinning your wheels on? Take some time to consider whether giving up might be the best way to move forward.Write down the goal of this project. What are you trying to accomplish?Why is achieving this goal important to you (beyond just the fact that you committed to achieving it)? Is there a higher level goal beyond this one–a top level goal that this immediate goal is in service of?How else might you pursue that top level goal? What other tactical goals could get you there?Consider whether abandoning your current goal might be the best move. Why or why not?Even if this exercise doesn’t lead you to a final decision, it will almost certainly help you see the current situation from a new angle–which is always useful. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Explore the tug-of-war between rigid schedules and the allure of spontaneity. Uncover how self-awareness can transform daily habits and decision-making. Delve into the origins of our time structures and their flexibility. Highlight the clash between instinctual needs and societal expectations. Learn to harmonize your natural rhythms with the demands of modern life, prioritizing both personal routines and well-being. Discover the art of flexible planning to respect both your present desires and long-term goals.

Everyone has lapses – small slips, moments, or even brief periods of time when you fall back into old habits and old patterns.Lapses can be an opportunity to learn something useful. But all too often, a lapse leads to self-defeating and catastrophizing thoughts, which lead to further lapses. Before you know it, a series of small lapses has snowballed into a full-blown relapse–or a return to an old behavior or pattern. In this episode, we talk about how to process and rebound from those inevitable slips.Takeaways- Lapses happen to all of us–even those who seem like they never struggle. - A lapse can be an opportunity that makes us even stronger. - Telling yourself that you “always” sabotage yourself is a particularly unhelpful story. - The more you can learn from a lapse, the better you can rebound from it–and make future lapses less likely.Lab Experiment- When you realize that a lapse has occurred, stay calm and be kind to yourself. - Remember that a brief lapse will not erase all of your progress. - Remind yourself of all the positive steps you have made. Don’t put all your focus on the one negative step. - Reflect on your purpose in beginning this journey. - Remember that giving up never moves you any closer to your goal. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Nicole Byers. A self proclaimed neuroscience nerd, mom, and leadership/productivity coach, Dr. Byers helps busy professionals build confidence and get more done.Dr. Nicole Byers is a psychologist who specializes in neuropsychology. A few years ago, she left her dream job working in a top hospital and teaching at a university to become an entrepreneur. Now she helps professionals develop the mental habits that allow them to feel less overwhelmed, more confident, and to take action toward their goals. She also hosts a terrific podcast called The Bold Life.In this episode, Brock and Dr. Byers dive into the following topics:- Why we default to old (and perhaps unwanted) behaviours when stressful situations arise. - How we can avoiding all-or-nothing thinking and why giving ourselves some grace can actually keep us on track. - How our brain constantly tells us stories about the stressful events – and how we can challenge those stories. - When a circumstance is out of our control, the best approach can be to look at what can we control. - Why asking yourself “what story I am telling myself right now?” is a great tactic to help change those stories. - How a little stress can actually make us more effective – and productive. - The interesting fact that our bodies react to negative and positive stress the same way. - How the word stress got a bad reputation (should we start calling it the “twinkles” instead?) - How being too busy (or a workaholic) makes you less productive and less effective. And how this applies to trying to change too many behaviours all at once. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s been well over a year since we first talked about unmet goals and we thought it would be a great time to revisit this topic. If you’ve already listened to Episode 6, this is your chance to revisit this topic with fresh ears. If you haven’t... let’s dig in!Takeaways:Unmet goals get heavier and heavier the longer you carry them around.An unmet goal can be a barrier (or an excuse) to achieving other goalsSometimes, it’s wiser to let a goal go than to continue to pay the “interest”Lab Experiment:Think about a goal or ambition that’s been on your “to achieve” list for a while.Take a moment to think (compassionately) about how much emotional capital you’re spending on that unmet goal.Think about anything you’ve been putting off because this particular goal is still unmet.Decide right now to either officially table that goal for now OR commit to taking concrete action this week. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this special episode, the hosts discuss the significance of treats in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Learn how intentional planning can help you choose better treats and combat feelings of deprivation. Discover the benefits of planning treats and implementing restraint. Cultivate awareness and anticipation in daily tasks and incorporate planned treats in food choices. The hosts introduce the Wayless program and invite listeners to enroll.

We encourage you to identify things that aren’t working (or could be working better) and design solutions. But sometimes, we end up designing solutions that are unnecessarily complicated or costly.We may even lose sight of our original objective and end up designing a “solution” that doesn’t solve the original problem at all. In this episode, we teach you how to notice when you are losing focus so you can get back on track.Takeaways:- Designing solutions that are unnecessarily complicated or costly may cause us to lose sight of our original objective. - Sometimes our brain distracts us from working on the bigger issue by dazzling us with something that seems like it will help but doesn’t actually move us closer to our goals. - Asking ourselves questions like: what is my current focus, what am I trying to create, or what is my real goal, can get us back on track.- Simplify your plan before you complicate it into oblivion.Lab Experiment:- Think about a system or solution that you’ve designed that’s complicated or costly. It could be for your business, for your home or family, or something personal. It could be one you’ve already implemented or one you’re just thinking about. - Identify the problem that this system was originally intended to solve (or what goal it was intended to achieve). - Ask yourself (and/or your team): Does that problem (still) need to be solved? Has the original goal been abandoned or achieved? - Is there a simpler way to solve the problem or achieve the goal? Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

The things we do on a routine basis impact how we see ourselves. And the opposite is also true: How we see ourselves can influence how we act. In other words, our habits and our identity are closely tied to one another. In this episode, we talk about how to make sure that connection between our behavior and our identity is working for us and not against us. Takeaways There’s an important difference between acknowledging a trait or circumstance that you’d like to change and allowing it to define you.It can be easier to persist in a new behavior (or set of behaviors) if we work on building an identity that supports it.Linking your behaviors to your core values helps to reinforce positive habits and identity Who we associate with can have a powerful effect (either positively or negatively) on our progress toward our goals. Lab Experiment:Try this CBT technique (called STOPP)1. STOP: If you hear yourself using terms to describe yourself that seem limiting, stop.2. TAKE A BREATH: Breathe in and out a few times slowly.3. OBSERVE: What am I really saying about myself? What do these words or terms cause me to think about myself? 4. PERSPECTIVE: Consider the bigger picture. Is this an important fact about me? Could there be a different way of presenting this aspect of myself? What would someone else say about you if they were asked?5. PRACTICE: Don’t just do this once. Replacing a well rehearsed identity will take time, so don’t give up! Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this extracurricular episode, we’re sharing a preview of an upcoming workshop on incorporating more movement and fitness into our daily routines. Even if you’re an avid exerciser, it’s still easy to end up sitting for long stretches of every day. And finding those hidden opportunities to sneak more movement into our daily routines can make the difference between ending the day stiff and cranky or finishing the day feeling flexible and energized!We’re hoping this little snippet - about using a morning movement routine to both warm up your body and set your intentions for the day - will whet your appetite for more and that you’ll join us on August 19th for a full-length live workshop where Brock will show you how to squeeze more movement, fitness and fun into every day...no special equipment or clothes required. You don’t even have to break a sweat. The workshop is free but requires pre-registration, which you can do by going to changeacademypodcast.com/sitless Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode was suggested by a listener named Liz: “I have clients that I fear will let go of their habits when they don’t have me there to hold them accountable. How do you coach someone to create that accountability for themselves or hold themselves accountable?” Takeaways Being more accountable to someone else than you are to yourself can be a red flag that either your goal is off or your reason for doing it is missing.When you can align your goal with your identity and values, you can become someone who acts a certain way whether they feel motivated or have external accountability or not.Cultivating more awareness of the intrinsic rewards can make you less dependent on external rewards (although you can still enjoy those as well).You don’t need to stay motivated in order to succeed. You just need to stay committed. Lab Experiment When you find yourself searching for motivation, stop and ask yourself instead “Why is doing this thing or achieving this goal important to me?” Next, ask yourself “What’s required of me right now? Who do I need to be in this moment in order to become who I want to be in the future?”Imagine how you will feel after taking that next step–even if no one else knows you did it. Will you be glad you did it? If so, simply commit to taking that next step, whether or not you feel motivated.  Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★