Avoiding the Comfort Trap

Send us a text

Ever feel like you're stuck in the gravitational pull of your own comfort zone, orbiting the same problems like a satellite doomed to reruns of its own past mistakes? You’re not alone. Avoiding the Comfort Trap isn’t about radical, reckless change as much as it’s about understanding why we cling to familiarity, even when it holds us back, and how to break free without setting off existential alarm bells.

In this episode, my friend and colleague Jo Groves, joined by a live audience, take a deep dive into why behavior change is so complicated and why simply knowing what to do isn’t enough. From suspending assumptions to the sneaky hidden commitments that conflict with our stated goals, we’ll explore how our internal arguments for and against change play out every single day.

We’ll break down the dynamic systems that shape our choices, and how our values, behaviors, environment, and social determinants of changes shape us.  Discover why crafting a compelling vision of the future (or revisiting the past to find what truly mattered) is essential to meaningful transformation.

But it’s not just about dreaming big, it’s about starting small. Change often happens through incremental wins, building self-efficacy, and isolating key variables instead of trying to overhaul your entire life overnight. We’ll explore tools like decisional balance sheet, motivational interviewing, and other models that support a deeper understanding of yourself, your clients, and how to facilitate change talk.

Speaking of talk, let's not forget the role of language, the words we use to describe ourselves are powerful predictors of behavior change. When we shift from "I should" to "I will," "I am," and "I have," we’re no longer just talking about change, we’re preparing to engage in it.

We’ll talk about why we need mavericks, in every industry, in every field; people willing to challenge norms, ask better questions, and create a culture where empathy fuels evolution instead of judgment reinforcing stagnation.

So, what’s the one thing you’re going to work on changing? Let’s get to it. Because avoiding the comfort trap isn’t about making life harder, it’s about making it matter.

Visit us at:

www.theselfhelpantidote.com