Mastering the Art of Change

It's a time of year when we implement new systems to manage time, chaos, and a sense of stability in our lives. Although the practice of adopting change is typically more successful in the Fall (Why September Is the Real New Year for Personal Development, 2025), society and culture can pressure us into thinking that we need to make it happen - now.

We can benefit from developing and implementing systems in our lives at any time. So, why not read a ton of articles on how to set better resolutions? Explore different ways of eating and sleeping, and invest in personal trainers and small group training sessions? If that sounds appetizing, let's address some of the barriers you might encounter. I'll highlight a couple of ways to work around it, and you'll gain insights into your thinking and being that'll help you make lasting changes.

Normal is a Statistic, Not an Experience

Even within the context of healthcare, mass systems can be rooted in managing the population, not mobilizing it. Rather than scrap what we have, many have been committed for years to shift the focus from a clinical generalized approach to personalized and aligned purpose (“It’s All About Me”: The Personalization of Health Systems, 2014)(The Future of Personalized Well-being, World Economic Forum's 2030 Goals).

This tension at the macro level is echoed in the micro, in our inner dialogue around systems also being harmful and detrimental to living full, authentic experiences. We might even have our own history tied up in this, from that time we oversimplified things, didn't do enough research, and were working against our brains. Deep down, we know that there is a way that works for us in a good way. But who has time to research and experiment with a wide range of approaches?

Thankfully, we've evolved a diverse range of senses and measures that improve confidence in decision-making, self-efficacy in our life skills, and the capacity to make meaningful choices so we can live our best lives. In fact, honing these abilities empowers us to adopt, adapt, and tailor systems to our unique needs. That's what makes us change masters and enables us to see ourselves as makers of destiny.

So, how can we tell the difference between helpful and harmful systems? Humans have built-in measures that have evolved over thousands of years, which receive and process the input we need to develop discernment.

Do the Right Thing

You may have heard of research that capped a well-engaged population at around 200 (Group size in social-ecological systems, 2023), or been raised with the belief that people need to be told what to do and watched to make sure they do it. It's gotten to the point that our trust in government and leadership is dicey. This isn't surprising when the country closest to you is engaged in the early stages of a civil war, and Alberta leaders are going against established legal and democratic precedents. Thankfully, research (and often personal experience) shows that we report a higher quality of life when we're given choices to make on our own.

"(R)epurposing of skills allows older adults to reapply wisdom learned in other contexts and maintain autonomy in decision making rather than relinquish tasks to others." -Applying Erikson’s Wisdom to Self-Management Practices of Older Adults: Findings from Two Field Studies, 2014

When we are genuinely stressed about things we cannot control, like government and regulatory systems, it's important to live within the scope of what we can. We choose school districts and schools that empower our youth, we select workplaces and jobs that we can walk away from if need be, and we initiate change through systems that can meet us halfway. Avoiding desperation is a key skill in maintaining self-direction. Like all skills, it can be trained and developed. Stay focused on the positive by recognizing where you are good at this already. Expand from there.

Loud Advocates versus Silenced Voices

It became apparent to me while working to support disability rights and healthcare rights, personally and professionally, that some are affected and need to do something about it, while some people do not. Full stop. No judgement. In fact, we need both to survive as a diverse population. Some can not due to whatever they're dealing with, or where they've come from. Some have been silenced culturally, and others by society. This is why it can be helpful for us to reframe our perspectives on a situation and widen our gaze. Looking at a particular system can be infuriating, yet acknowledging a complex ecosystem can help us accept what we cannot change and focus on what's within our control.

By sharing our stories of change, gaining a voice, and successfully navigating healing journey segments, we empower those around us. They may attempt to do the same, or simply be inspired to hold it in their hearts, building their own capacity for self-directed change.

"Providing a hint about the change could help people realize faster that they cannot rely on old routines and need to adjust their behavior. Relatedly, there is evidence that valuing recent experiences more than older experiences can be helpful in dynamic situations (Konstantinidis, Harman & Gonzalez, 2022)." - The importance of change communication and state motivation when adapting to changes, 2024

Rather than fixate on those who are grounded in their beliefs, we must focus on those who reflect our values. From estrangement between family members, to leaving an unsupportive workplace, to ending a toxic relationship. Each choice strengthens your self-awareness and capacity to improve your personal ecosystem. Whether people are engaged in your growth or opt out of the conversation, there are plenty of people who are aligned with your path and will support you in meaningful ways. Seeking and relating with those individuals will widen your understanding, lighten a sense of pressure to "make it work", and help you recognize your needs.

Our Wires are Crossed

It can become apparent that we are trying to perceive a reality that's clouded and warped by "isms" such as industrialism, consumerism, colonialism, and capitalism. As well, there are cognitive biases that act as a lens that affect how we receive and translate information. It can be overwhelming to face what we truly see and experience. Weighing a healthy number or BMI ratio may be affected by a health system that measures health differently by ethnicity, gender, and other factors. Choosing groceries to support your goal to improve your strength and energy can be impacted by availability and pricing, based on your geographic location. Figuring out the right number of hours for you to sleep, to let your brain properly process and catch up to your waking life, can get confusing in the research, depending on your sources.

All this is to say that while we may perceive a broken wire, it's up to us to reinforce it and regain confidence in its operation. Critical consumption is a skill that we can develop. Discernment and debunking are abilities that we can improve upon. Asking yourself how you feel as you take on new behaviours and attitudes is just as important 3 months down the line, as it is during the first week. That goes for trying new medications as well, since many take 90 days to fully show up in our systems.

"Students with a greater capacity for discernment are able to think more critically and creatively, think things through to their logical conclusions, consider unintended consequences, make healthier and more constructive decisions, and know what to let go of and how to resist catastrophizing." - Cultivating Discernment, Psychology Today Canada, 2024

Humans have built-in measures that have evolved over thousands of years, which give us the input we need to develop discernment. It's our nervous system. Regulation of, and a deepened relationship with yours, will help you master change in a wide range of environments. It will help you migrate to systems that are responsive, rather than static or stagnant. It will help you to recognize the ecosystems you find yourself in, and to demonstrate that we can widen our understanding of how mass systems might work for individual homeostasis.

Ultimately, it's up to us to take ownership of clarifying and refining ourselves as "receivers" and "projectors" to enjoy systems that work for us, in relation to the systems around us. Assuming that systems are against us isn't helpful; however, assuming that we have more control than we're told is a good place to start imagining what could be.