Unlocking the Power of Change: Easing the Path Forward

Over the past decade, I have written a variety of articles on the difficulties of change. Redirecting our trajectory is a strenuous task for the courageous. The only road to change, I suggested, was putting our head down and bulling through the muck of obstacles and emerging on the other side as a better human being. I stand by this, adjusting our approach to living is difficult. However, there is much more to this story. Often we are fighting a force much stronger than our will. Change in these situations must rely on a better strategy. We must ease the path to change.

Change isn’t simply a luxury for those with dogged determination. Science is beginning to doubt that magical existence of the invisible substance we delightfully refer to as will-power. Those most effective at implementing change typically face fewer challenges. They rely on intelligent design, avoiding environments that pound our resilience, and then surround themselves with those that boost, push them to their goals. They succeed by easing the path to change.

The moral is simple: we don’t need to work harder, we need to work smarter. The self-discipline to change isn’t measured in brute strength but wise planning to avoid the monsters that unduly deplete our reservoirs of strength.

Obstacles to Change

We suffer from a variety of maladies that drain our lives of joy. We have addictions, unconscious routines, blind reactions that intrude on futures and interfere with goals. Our lives improve through intentional change, bringing the unseen into the light, evaluating for effectiveness and forcing change. This is our challenge. We must adapt through promising changes or avoid the pain of inefficiencies by pushing the ailments beneath the radar of consciousness.

Both productive adaptation and fearful avoidance demand psychological and physical resources; they drain energy. Perhaps, we must approach change from a better angle. By easing the path to change, we may find we have sufficient strength to achieve our desired results.

“Each act of self-control draws from this limited supply, leaving less available for subsequent acts that require self-regulation or the self’s active intervention. When this resource becomes depleted, people become vulnerable to self-control failures” (Bauer & Baumeister, 2017).

Strength Theory of Self-Control

Many have suggested that self control is like a muscle, and to strengthen the muscle it must be exercised, and thus gains strength . By strengthening will-power, we expand the resources available. Perhaps, this is true; but recent studies suggest a better path to successful goal pursuit. We enhance self-discipline by creating environments that are less depleting, and by structuring in activities that replenish.

Our path to change collides with a painful paradox, lack of self-control creates stressful events, and stressful events diminishes self-control (Park et al., 2016). This self-perpetuating and downward cycle sucks hapless victims into a powerful vortex of self-destruction. Instead of adopting helpful strategies to escape, the fearsome force, pulls downward, impelling the captive to seek psychological escapes rather than healthy adjustments.

The junkie wallowing in the mire of addiction, instead of pooling resources with those committed to sobriety, tend to collaborate with others stuck in the losing battle, embracing the collapsing pattern of depleted resources and magnified stressors. Instead of expending energy to manage the guilt and shame that often accompany honesty when around helpful others, they drift to destructive others where addiction is gleefully accepted. They find comfort connecting with those condemned to the same fate, in similar paths of helplessness.

Gentle Nudges

Easing the path to change is essential gentle nudges from our environment that makes change easier. These nudges can’t force change if we are consciously or unconsciously holding onto the life we outwardly proclaim we want to change. However, nudges are designs in the environment that makes succeeding at a goal easier.

Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein explain:

“Drawing on some well-established findings in social science, we show that in many cases, individuals make pretty bad decisions—decisions they would not have made if they had paid full attention and possessed complete information, unlimited cognitive abilities, and complete self-control” (Thaler & Sunstein, 2009).

Success isn’t a matter of willpower. In some cases, we can design an environment that makes failure extremely unlikely. The environmental designs, aimed at helping us achieve our goal are essential. Willpower is a limited resource. Overuse of it depletes energy and we succumb to temptation. We need to ease the path.

See Ego Depletion for more on this topic

Supportive Others to Ease the Path

Others that share our goals are essential to success. We draw from their resources in our pursuit, limiting energy depletion. This is a self-expanding model, instead of a self-limiting boundary (Chua et al., 2015). College students wishing for academic success that socialized with those committed to the same goal fared much better than those who socialized with friends that had different goals.

Using self-control to direct choices in friends was far better than using self-control to study every time one’s friends had something more exciting planned. Once the friendships were set, very little self-discipline was needed. The social group naturally pushed for the behaviors essential for the success.

see Social Support Theory for more on this topic

Strategies that Ease the Path for Goal Fulfillment

Here are some effective strategies to help you achieve your goals:

1. Set SMART Goals:

Specific: Clearly define your goal.
Measurable: Set quantifiable targets.
Achievable: Ensure your goal is realistic.
Relevant: Align your goal with your values and overall life direction.
Time-bound: Set a deadline to create a sense of urgency.

See SMART Goals for more on this topic

2. Break Down Goals:

Divide and conquer: Break large goals into smaller, more manageable steps.

3. Create a Plan:

Outline steps: Develop a detailed plan outlining the actions needed to achieve your goal.
Set deadlines: Assign specific deadlines for each step.

See a Workable Plan for more on this topic

4. Stay Motivated:

Visualize success: Imagine yourself achieving your goal.
Find inspiration: Surround yourself with motivational quotes, images, or people.
Reward yourself: Celebrate milestones along the way.

See Staying Motivated for more on this topic

5. Overcome Obstacles:

Expect challenges: Understand that setbacks are normal.
Develop resilience: Learn to bounce back from failures.
Seek support: Talk to friends, family, or a mentor for guidance.

See Stumble Forward for more on this topic

6. Track Progress:

Monitor your journey: Keep a journal or use a tracking app to monitor your progress.
Adjust as needed: Be flexible and willing to make changes to your plan if necessary.

7. Stay Accountable:

Share your goals: Tell others about your plans to increase accountability.
Find an accountability partner: Work with someone who can support and motivate you.

By following these strategies, you can increase your chances of successfully achieving your goals and making positive changes in your life.

Associated Concepts

Stages of Change: The stages of change, also known as the transtheoretical model, describe a series of stages that individuals may go through when making a significant behavior change.
Life Challenges: These events encompass a broad array of difficult or demanding circumstances that individuals may face throughout their lives. These challenges can manifest in various forms, such as personal, professional, social, and emotional difficulties.
Goal Setting Theory: This theory is a pivotal concept in human psychology, emphasizing specific and challenging goals coupled with feedback and self-belief as key drivers of performance and motivation.
Self-Efficacy Theory: Proposed by Albert Bandura, this theory emphasizes the belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations. It’s related to social support in that support from others can enhance an individual’s self-efficacy.
Self-Determination Theory: This theory is a macro theory of human motivation and personality that concerns people’s inherent growth tendencies and innate psychological needs. It posits that humans have three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Possible Selves: This concept, as defined by Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius in their 1986 theory, is a vision of the person we will be in the future, drawing from personal knowledge, past experiences, social interactions, and cultural context. It includes goals, aspirations, motives, fears, and threats.
Convoy Theory: This theory posits that individuals are surrounded by a network of close and more distant relationships that form a ‘convoy’ of social support throughout their lives.
Intention-Behavior Gap: This refers to the disparity between an individual’s intention to perform a certain behavior and their actual behavior. Various internal and environmental influences, lack of self-regulatory skills, and the role of habits contribute to this disparity.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

Failure to maintain control over thoughts, emotions and behaviors adds disastrous complications to already taxed systems. When we are overwhelmed, we act in irrational ways that increase stressors and further deplete our systems. Escape demands the wise approach. We can’t repeatedly fail, do the same thing, and expect an improved result—insanity.

Our momentary flashes of renewed strength will eventually fail without a supporting structure. We must return to the basics—a healthy diet, proper sleep, and a supporting cast of others. By easing our path, we conserve strength to face the passing temptations. As we progress, our healthy habits lessen the stressors and increase our ability to respond with power.

Last Update: December 21, 2025

References:

Bauer, I.M.; Baumeister, R. F. (2017). Self-Regulatory Strength. K. D. Vohs, & R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation: Third Edition: Research, Theory, and Applications. The Guilford Press; Third edition. ISBN-10: 1462533825; APA Record: 2010-24692-000
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Chua, S., Carbonneau, N., Milyavskaya, M.,; Koestner, R. (2015). Beyond the self in self-control. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32(3), 330-343. DOI: 10.1177/0265407514533
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Park, C., Wright, B., Pais, J.; Ray, D. (2016). Daily Stress and Self-Control. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 35(9), 738-753. DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2016.35.9.738
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Thaler, Richard H., Sunstein, Cass R. (2009). Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness. Yale University Press; Revised & Expanded edition. ISBN-13: 9780300262285; APA Record: 2008-03730-000
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