Get Motivated to Tackle That Big Change
June 26, 2025 | By David M. Wagner
Last weekend, I got to celebrate a friend’s graduation from college. She threw a big party with themed balloons, napkins, and all the rest.
The tagline I saw everywhere: “The Tassel was Worth the Hassle.”
Boy, what a hassle!
It’s one thing to decide that it’s time for a big change.
It’s another to see it through. All that time. Effort. Expense.
In the face of a daunting undertaking, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and to struggle to get started.
Here’s how you can find the motivation – for yourself or your team! – when change feels uncomfortable.
Remember the End Goal
What’s your equivalent to the diploma waiting at the end of this change?
How will it feel to hold that “diploma” in your hand – that is, to have finished the transition and enjoy a new, hopefully better, state of being?
Come up with your own metaphor or symbol for being “done.” Maybe it’s a trophy, a community party, or a cold beverage and a calming vista. Where can you place a visual reminder of that symbol to motivate you (or your team) when you/they feel discouraged?
Visualization exercises and visual clues can go a long way to remind you that this is all “worth the hassle.”
Know Your Plan
A big roadblock to enacting change is not knowing how to do it – being unclear about the steps involved.
(That’s also one big reason a lot of strategic “plans” stall out – someone skipped or skimped on the planning part.)
Take the time to build out an action plan.
In my experience, the task always feels more daunting before I write out all the steps involved. It looks much more manageable spelled out on paper – making it much easier to find the motivation to get started!
Focus on the Next Step
On the other hand, some change processes are so expansive and involved that it’s hard to pick just one thing to try.
Big changes often just require you to build momentum.
Whatever your plan is, somewhere there’s a starting point. Maybe it’s the most pressing and urgent step. Maybe it’s the prerequisite to every other step.
Or maybe it’s something small, like asking for advice or learning more about your options.
Find your first step (or your next step) and let everything else be a challenge for another day. That will make it much easier to get started, or to keep going.
It’s natural to drag your feet in the face of a big, uncomfortable change. Just keep the end in mind, have a plan, and take it one step at a time. I can’t promise you’ll find the willpower to tackle things with gusto every single day…but it’s much more likely.
If you’re facing a challenge and you’re not sure where to start – or could use some built-in accountability – talk to me about how issue processing or coaching could help you reignite your motivation.