Subscribe to Christopher Bell's weekly newsletter on leadership, management, personal development, and entrepreneurship.
Share
Want to make things happen? Get ready for the Cycle of Emotional Change ๐ฏ Wednesday Win
Published over 1 year agoย โขย 4 min read
Whether you are starting a new business, launching a new product, or pursuing a new goal, you'll have to power through the cycle of emotional change to get through to success. Even if you've never heard of this framework or thought about its steps, you've felt its impact. The good news: if you better understand these steps, you'll be prepared with the right attitude to power through the trough and get to sustained success.
This simple 5-step framework was documented by a pair of researchers more than 40 years ago in an obscure journal, but entrepreneurs continue to benefit from its simple and near universal wisdom.
I've seen this pattern play out in nearly any project that requires sustained effort from simple work assignments to massive company launches. But it especially impacts solopreneurs and anyone trying to launch a new venture, write a book, build a community, or accomplish something innovative.
Emotional Cycle of Change based on the work of Kelley and Connor (1979)
Let's explore each of the five stages in order:
1. Uninformed Optimism
No project looks better or does more for our positive outlook than at the outset. We've heard the pitch, read the testimonials, and it all feels so easy. Just follow the steps and success will be here.
It's exciting, fresh, and very attractive. We can't wait to start and see the returns that are certain to flow. At this first stage, we can't see the true challenges or perceive our gaps in necessary knowledge.
This isn't all unhealthy as it's usually helpful to have a little ignorance of the full spectrum of challenges ahead. Without those gaps, we'd be a lot less likely to even try something new.
The novelty is attractive
The steps all looking manageable
We've bought into the hype and can't wait for the easy results
It helps us start, but the timelines and work expected are probably completely unrealistic
That leads us to a reality check...
2. Informed Pessimism
Once we begin working, the real challenges start revealing themselves. We begin to see that the steps aren't so simple, the pathway isn't so clear, and we may have a much bigger challenge in front of us than we could see at the start.
The initial enthusiasm at the start is gone and now the full scope of work starts coming into focus. This is where building habits can help.
The actual work required to reach success is more visible
First wave of enthusiasm has passed
Steady work is required to make progress
Then, the work really gets tough...
3. Valley of Despair
Nearly any worthwhile project will bring us to this trough: the Valley of Despair. It sounds awful because that's often how it feels. This is when giving up and trying something new looks so attractive. Quitting happens here.
Many hit this point and give up because the dopamine hit from going back to stage 1 with a new project feels so much better than slogging through it.
If you are starting a new company or working on a side hustle, this is when you fully realize that there is no avoiding significant effort to succeeding.
This point of maximum pessimism is coming and needs to be resisted. It's uncomfortable, often demoralizing, and will push you to quit if you let it.
Be prepared for tough times, but don't lose sight of the ultimate goal
The work is real, not always fun, but critical to accomplishing work of real meaning.
Beware of chasing a new Shiny Object and quitting for the empty promises of a new project back at stage 1
Many projects are abandoned at step 3 because the feel-good ease in step 1 is too attractive
All is not hopeless. If we persevere, we advance to...
4. Informed Optimism
Through careful habits and consistent work, we build expertise and knowledge and break out of the valley of despair. At stage 4, we're smarter and more capable and again cross over into optimism.
This new level of informed optimism is where progress begins accelerating as we create systems, build our network, delegate tasks, and do the other things that increase our productivity.
We haven't yet reached our goals, but they once again feel achievable. The pathway is clear and the work less overwhelming.
The scale returns to optimism
The work is manageable and the pace of progress is accelerating
Emphasis is no longer on can we do it, but how can we do it faster?
Persistence through stage 4 leads us to the ultimate goal...
5. Sustained Success
Stage 5 is less of a singular destination as it is a state of effective operations. Once we reach sustained success, processes are established and ongoing productive operations are possible.
For a simple project, this may mark the completion, but the gained experience and knowledge will help inform future efforts.
For larger efforts like launching a new business or creating a new product line, this is when the effort reaches a state of self-sustaining operations. Instead of seeking the rush of excitement for a wished-for outcome, stage five projects operate with their own positive cycle delivering consistent rewards without the pain of the Valley of Despair.
Stage five is the ultimate goal for any worthwhile project
Reaching a self-sustaining outcome brings its own rewards
Pushing through the earlier hardships provides the necessary education and experience to create long-term success.
โ
A positive flywheel helps sustain the success
Action Summary
Nothing worthwhile is achieved without effort. Knowing these emotional stages and how to navigate them makes pursuing success much easier. Avoid the unhealthy cycle of chasing the excitement of the start when encountering resistance and push through that Valley of Despair.
Prepare for the journey from exuberance to repeatable, consistent success:
Uninformed Optimism: use the excitement to set-up repeatable habits
Informed Pessimism: the first test of resolve; learn and adjust
Valley of Despair: the temptation to quit will be great, but this is where real success is found
Informed Optimism: optimize to power through to success
Sustained Success: enjoy the benefits of experience and optimized habits to experience ongoing satisfaction
What do you think?
How well does this align with your experience as a leader? As an innovator?
Reply to this email and let me know.
โ
To your success,
Christopher
Looking for a deeper dive on these topics? Connect here and reach out:
Starting is hard, but once you do, keeping up the momentum is much easier. Every habit effects every other habit. So first establish one positive habit and then add more over time. Each new one gets easier to keep in a positive cycle. Read on: blog.WednesdayWin.com Read time: 3 minutes The good news is that every habit helps so instead of starting with the toughest challenge, pick one that's certain to recharge and encourage you to keep going. Let's explore: The framework Building positive...
How confident are you that you are making well informed decisions? Does your deepest well of confidence come grounded by your deepest knowledge or by your strongest opinions? Understanding this can make all of the difference in your outcomes. Read on: blog.WednesdayWin.com Read time: 4 minutes Beware of those areas where your confidence is the greatest. Our minds are geared to keep us alive against an array of ancient threats much more than to handle the full nuance of the modern world....
Something changes when you write down your goals. But less than 3% bother to do it. If you're still in the 97% that do not have written goals, now is the time to take action. Identify, prioritize, and embrace your highest and most desired results. Read on: blog.WednesdayWin.com Read time: 4 minutes Written goals help us make the large and small decisions each day that focus our efforts on what's most important to us. Here's a simple exercise you can complete in a few minutes to put yourself...