HAPPY Sunday, Achiever!
"You’ve got the perfect strategy mapped out, every step laid out in detail. But if you’re not in the right state to execute it, that strategy is as useful as a map without a destination."
This week we'll be starting with you. For many of us, we get surprised by the amount of change and that creates frustration. Big frustration. Change equates to uncertainty, and that often keeps us stuck.
When we recognise that Change is the norm and is the cause of much overwhelm for many. When we look to make a change, most people focus on strategy first. They ask, 'What’s the plan?' or 'What are the steps?'
When you think about making a change - where do you start?
For most, we start with How to change. Maybe we do some research, do a course or ask a mentor. Regardless of what we do, we start with how. We start with strategy.
Approximately 70% of change initiatives fail, leaving organisations grappling with lost time, resources, and employee trust. Think of that goal you had that never came to fruition or that strategy you were given that never really took root.
This is my experience too. Until I was on Thrive in ‘25 with Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi last week and they shared the framework I will share with you here.
The common approach to change is to start with strategy. But often, there’s a story tied to that change—a story that becomes a blindspot. We get caught in negative thought loops, rumination, and catastrophizing, which hold us back.
Story is the narrative you tell yourself about who you are, what’s possible, and what you deserve. If your internal dialogue is filled with self-doubt, fear, and 'I’m not ready,' it doesn’t matter how good your strategy is—you won’t take action.
The key insight? Your state drives your story, and your story determines whether you'll execute the strategy to create the change you want. Lets unpack this…
When you start with strategy, it often creates friction rather than momentum:
Strategy – The Starting Point:
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When you lead with strategy, you’re focused on tactics and steps without first addressing your emotional and physiological baseline. This can feel forced, mechanical, and disconnected.
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- Example: You create a detailed plan but feel overwhelmed, doubtful, or anxious about executing it. The strategy is solid, but your energy is misaligned.
Story – The Interpretation:
As you attempt to execute the strategy, your mind starts to create a narrative around it. If you’re already in a low-energy state, the story often becomes negative. You begin to question your abilities, overthink, or catastrophize potential outcomes.
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- Example: “This plan is too much. I can’t handle it. I’m not ready for this.” This story diminishes your confidence and stalls action.
State – The Afterthought:
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By the time you get to state, you’re already feeling drained, frustrated, or stuck. Now, you’re trying to shift your emotional state after you’ve already built a story of self-doubt and overwhelm. This is much harder because you’re now fighting against the momentum of negative emotions.
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- Example: You try to motivate yourself with positive thinking, but it feels hollow because your mind is still anchored in a disempowering story.
Starting with strategy creates a disconnect. You’re attempting to act without being fully aligned emotionally or mentally, making execution feel heavy, forced, or unsustainable. You end up pushing through rather than flowing through the plan, leading to burnout, self-sabotage, or incomplete execution.
The big idea here - one that isn’t really understood, but is a core aspect of high performance is the importance of alignment and aligned action.
In psychology, it has been proven that strategy is the last piece of the puzzle. Before you can execute effectively, you need to align your state and your story. Without that alignment, even the best strategy will fall flat.
So how does this all work??
