What Your Growth Journey Might Be Missing
- Paula Trammell Harris, Ph.D.
- Aug 15
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 27
Believing in growth is one thing. Being ready delivers results.
The special education coordinator stared at her meticulously crafted inclusion plan. Color-coded implementation timelines. Research citations. Stakeholder meetings completed. Training budget approved. Six months later, classroom observations revealed the same exclusionary practices, the same frustrated teachers, the same struggling students.
Sound familiar?
I've watched countless well-intentioned change initiatives follow this pattern. Not because people lack commitment, knowledge, or resources—but because they confuse motion with readiness.
Research reveals why most change efforts stall: fewer than 5% of adults meet exercise recommendations, medication adherence rates hover between 25-50% even with good insurance coverage, and less than 25% maintain healthy dietary changes long-term (Liu et al., 2020; Vrijens et al., 2012). Yet when people write down their goals, completion rates jump 42%. Add an accountability partner? Success rates hit 70% versus just 35% for those going solo (Matthews, 2007).
The difference isn't in the goal—it's in the readiness to sustain the work when motivation fades.
Why Professional Development Rarely Sticks
Growth mindset lives in the realm of intention. Growth readiness lives in the realm of execution.
Psychology's Transtheoretical Model reveals the gap: professionals pour enormous energy into the contemplation stage—reading research, attending workshops, creating plans—while remaining fundamentally unprepared for the preparation and action stages where real change happens (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997).
This gap costs us more than failed initiatives. It creates change fatigue—that cynical voice whispering "here we go again" when the next improvement effort launches.
"Readiness isn't about having perfect conditions—it's about creating sufficient conditions for sustainable progress."
The Four Keys to Change Readiness
Through decades of helping educators, clinicians, and organizations navigate transformation, I've identified four non-negotiable conditions that separate lasting change from expensive good intentions.
1. Cognitive and Emotional Bandwidth
The Reality: Change requires mental and emotional space that most professionals haven't protected.
Why This Matters for Neurodivergent Individuals: Traditional change approaches often ignore sensory processing needs, executive function differences, and the additional cognitive load of navigating neurotypical systems.
Case Study: A high school principal wanted to implement trauma-informed practices but her calendar was wall-to-wall with crisis management. We created "reflection blocks"—90 minutes weekly protected from interruptions for processing difficult conversations, reviewing resistance patterns, and planning responses to pushback. Within four months, suspension rates dropped 35% and teacher buy-in increased significantly.
Your Quick Assessment:
Do you have protected time for the messy middle of change?
When do you process setbacks and resistance?
Where's your space for the emotional work of transformation?
2. Root-Level Understanding
The Reality: Surface fixes create temporary improvements that collapse under pressure.
Case Study: A school counselor kept reverting to punitive approaches despite training in restorative justice. Assessment revealed her core belief: "If I'm not strict, I'm not helping them prepare for the real world." Addressing this underlying assumption—not just teaching new techniques—shifted her practice permanently.
For Neurodivergent Considerations: Many change failures stem from interventions designed for neurotypical brains applied universally without adaptation.
Your Quick Assessment:
Are you treating behaviors or beliefs?
What assumptions drive your current approach?
Whose voice influences your "shoulds"?
3. Environmental Architecture
The Reality: Your surroundings shape decisions more powerfully than willpower.
Case Study: A therapist committed to using new assessment protocols kept defaulting to familiar tools. Her office setup told the story: old forms at eye level, new materials buried in drawers. Simple environmental changes—prominent placement of new tools, removal of outdated resources—increased adoption by 200% in six weeks.
Neurodivergent Insight: Environmental modifications often benefit everyone while being essential for neurodivergent success. Universal design principles apply to change initiatives, too.
Your Quick Assessment:
What in your environment belongs to your old approach?
How does your physical space support or sabotage change?
What would someone notice about your priorities from observing your workspace?
4. Sustainable Systems
The Reality: Motivation starts change. Structure sustains it.
Case Study: A district wanted to increase inclusive practices but relied on sporadic training and good intentions. We built systematic inclusion architecture: monthly data reviews, dedicated planning time, peer observation protocols, and celebration showcases. Inclusion metrics improved 150% and remained consistent regardless of leadership turnover.
Your Quick Assessment:
Do you have frameworks that work when enthusiasm wanes?
What happens to your change effort if you get sick for a week?
How do you maintain momentum through busy seasons?
When Readiness Clicks: The Neuroscience
When these four keys align, they create what researchers call "cognitive ease"—your brain processes challenge as manageable load rather than existential threat. This neurological shift activates the prefrontal cortex for strategic thinking while reducing amygdala-driven stress responses that derail progress.
Educational teams with structured readiness protocols show:
Higher completion rates for improvement initiatives
Faster implementation of sustainable practices
Greater confidence in maintaining changes during stressful periods
The Hidden Cost of Skipping Readiness
Initiative Fatigue: Each failed change attempt increases cynicism about future efforts.
Resource Waste: Time, money, and political capital spent on unsustainable interventions.
Opportunity Cost: What meaningful changes aren't happening because energy goes to maintaining failed initiatives?
Trust Erosion: Stakeholders lose confidence in leadership's ability to create lasting improvement.
Your Change Readiness Audit
Rate each area (1=Needs Work, 5=Strong Foundation):
Bandwidth: Do you have protected time and emotional space for change work? ___
Understanding: Have you identified the root beliefs driving current patterns? ___
Environment: Does your physical/digital space support new behaviors? ___
Systems: Do you have structures that function when motivation dips? ___
Total Score: ___/20
16-20: You're ready to launch sustainable change 12-15: Address gaps before starting major initiatives8-11: Focus on building readiness first. Below 8: Strengthen foundations before attempting change
The Implementation Pathway
Phase 1: Foundation Building (Weeks 1-2)
Address your lowest-scoring readiness area first. Create space before tackling beliefs. Design environment before building systems.
Phase 2: Pilot Testing (Weeks 3-6)
Start small with one specific behavior change. Test your readiness conditions under real-world pressure.
Phase 3: Scaling Success (Weeks 7-12)
Expand what's working. Protect readiness conditions like core business processes.
Phase 4: Maintenance Mode (Ongoing)
Schedule regular readiness maintenance. Conditions need tending like physical fitness.
The Strategic Question That Changes Everything
At SHIFT Perspective, we believe powerful questions create powerful shifts.
What would become possible if you spent as much energy building readiness as you do pursuing change?
Most people reverse this—they chase change while hoping readiness develops along the way. The most successful individuals and organizations flip the script: they build readiness first, then change becomes inevitable.
Ready to shift from wanting change to being ready for it?
Start with your lowest readiness score. Pick one small action you can take this week to strengthen that foundation. Change doesn't require perfection—it requires preparation.
References:
Matthews, G. (2007). The effectiveness of goal setting: A study of 267 participants from around the world. Dominican University of California.
Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1997). The transtheoretical model of health behavior change. American Journal of Health Promotion, 12(1), 38-48.
Spring, B., Ockene, J. K., Gidding, S. S., Mozaffarian, D., Moore, S., Rosal, M. C., ... & Lloyd-Jones, D. (2013). Better population health through behavior change in adults: A call to action. Circulation, 128(19), 2169-2176.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center. (2019). The science behind behavior change. Health News.
Liu, J., Rehm, C. D., Onopa, J., & Mozaffarian, D. (2020). Trends in diet quality among youth in the United States, 1999-2016. JAMA, 323(12), 1161-1174.
Vrijens, B., De Geest, S., Hughes, D. A., Przemyslaw, K., Demonceau, J., Ruppar, T., ... & ABC team. (2012). A new taxonomy for describing and defining adherence to medications. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 73(5), 691-705.
Found this helpful? Our team at SHIFT Behavioral Health provides personalized support for the changes you're ready to make.
Legal Disclaimer: This blog provides educational information and should not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers for personalized guidance.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) immediately or go to your nearest emergency room.
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