The document discusses how the brain resists change by forming habits and taking the path of least resistance. It provides 5 ways to make your brain change: 1) Don't try to counter emotions with logic when facing change, observe your feelings without judgment. 2) Identify the personal benefits of change to stay motivated. 3) Anticipate barriers to change and proactively manage them. 4) Surround yourself with supportive people who will help, not hinder change. 5) Keep the long term goals and benefits in mind when facing short term challenges from change. With practice and persistence, new habits can form and change can become easier.

1. Your Brain Doesn't Want to
Change: 5 Ways to Make It
Change is always awkward at first, but it gets easier with practice.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Anne Grady
GUEST WRITER
Author, speaker and consultant

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April 10, 2017
Take a moment and cross your arms. Now, cross them in the opposite direction. Which
way was more awkward?

3. If you thought crossing them the second time required more thought, you’re right. In fact,
when you crossed them the first time, the signal came from a very different place in your
brain than it did the second time.
Habits are the choices we make deliberately that at some point become automatic. They
make up over 45 percent of what we do every day. Your brain is lazy. It doesn’t know the
difference between a good habit and a bad habit. It just takes everything you repeatedly
think, say, or do and turns it into a habit so it doesn’t have to work so hard.
When you crossedyour arms the first time, your limbic system (the place that stores your
memories and your habits) drove your actions. The second time you crossedyour arms,
the message came from the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher
level thinking and planning. Any new thought or behavior starts in the prefrontal cortex
and eventually becomes habituated if we use it enough.
Related: 4 Reasons Why You'll Never Be a Millionaire, and How You Can Change
That
Most people resist change because it threatens their natural habit patterns. Whether it’s a
new role, a new boss, a new car, a new diet or new routine, your brain has to work
overtime to learn to adapt to the change. Unfortunately, it’s like the old saying goes, “If
you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”
Navigating change, both personally and professionally, requires you to form new habits,
and that requires some discomfort. The more ingrained you are in the old way of doing
things, the longer it takes to form new habits. The good news is you can intentionally
train yourself to think and behave in new ways. The more you do it, the easier it becomes
to form new habits.

4. The next time you are trying to navigate change, keep these thoughts in mind.
Related: How Setting an Earlier Alarm Changed My Life
1. You can’t counter emotion with logic.
When we go through change, we often feel anxiety and fear of the unknown. Others may
tell us that the change logically makes sense. Unfortunately, that does little to alleviate
the discomfort associated with it. Give yourself time to process whatever emotions you
are feeling. Get curious as to why you feel anxious or afraid. Don’t judge your feelings,
just observe them. This is the first step to embracing change.
2. Identify what's in it for you.
Even when we know a change is for our own good, it’s easy to resist it, preferring our
comfortable old habits. Take time to identify your W.I.I.F.M. (What’s In It For Me). This
is your motivator and will keep you going through the discomfort. If you can’t identify a
positive benefit, ask what loss or negative outcome you are trying to avoid.
3. Identify barriers and proactively manage them.
Let’s say your goal is to get healthier. This might mean exercising more, eating better or
getting enough sleep. Even though we know these are good for us, the barriers of time,
money, laziness or life get in the way. Trying to eat better? Plan your meals so that you
have healthy food options wherever you are. Too tired to go to the gym after work? Sleep
in your gym clothes and wake up 30 minutes early to go for a walk. Too tired? Don’t
worry, exercise will help you get better sleep.
Related: If You're Not Happy, Stop Complaining and Make a Change
4. Surround yourself with the right people.

5. We all have energy drainers in our lives. These people are full of drama and stress. They
are toxic and will make change extremely difficult. Identify the people in your life who
drain your energy and distance yourself from them. Conversely, identify those who make
you feel supported and spend more time with them.
5. Keep the big picture in mind.
When we are approaching a change, it can seem daunting. When we’ve made it through
to the other side, it’s easy to look back with perspective and call it growth. Keep this in
mind as you encounter adversity, challenge, and change in your life. So far, you’ve
navigated every change thrown your way. That’s a pretty good track record.
Remember, if you want to behave differently, you have to think differently. We can
retrain our brains and form new habits. It just takes courage and the willingness to step
outside our comfort zones. Change can be scary, but by taking some time to proactively
manage the process, you can set yourself up for success.