Change. We all know it’s good for us, yet so often it feels impossible to follow through. One minute you’re motivated, the next you’re stuck in the same old pattern, wondering why you can’t quite move forward.

In this episode of Your Permission to Pause, we’re talking about why change feels so frustratingly hard, even when it’s something you genuinely want. From giving up alcohol for Sober October, to breaking habits at work like holding on to too much or avoiding delegation, the struggle is the same.

I’ll be sharing a simple framework from the work of Robert Keegan and Lisa Lahey called "Immunity to Change,” which explains why we can feel like one foot’s pressing on the accelerator while the other’s firmly on the brake. With practical tools, real coaching stories, and a focus on self-compassion and small steps, you’ll see how to spot what’s really keeping you stuck and how to start shifting it.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re sabotaging your own progress, this conversation will help you find a way through.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Introduction: Understanding 'Immunity to Change'

05:37 Why we self-sabotage: protective fears override our goals

09:47 Overcoming Disorganisation Stress

12:24 When structure feels like a threat to identity

13:52 When “fun and free” becomes a barrier to growth

19:23 Managing anxiety and challenging beliefs

21:28 Identify barriers to your goals

24:54 Gradual change through awareness

29:11 Outdated data: reframing self-sabotage with curiosity and compassion

Meet your host Jo Cowlin

Jo Cowlin keeps it real.

Some people might like to call her ‘a motivational people development expert’ but Jo would rather you didn’t.

Jo is a no-nonsense, straight-talking northerner

She is also a transformational coach, facilitator and game changer. She has a passion for results and is dedicated to helping leaders realise their aspirations without compromising their wellbeing.

She dares individuals to be different by eliminating corporate BS, life coaching, and hand-holding, and instead encourages breaking through barriers to gain clarity and step into personal power for a life without limits.

Resilience and a proactive approach to mental wellbeing is at the core of all of her work which is predominantly aimed at helping leaders and their teams refocus, regroup and rapidly adjust to change. With a background in pharmaceutical leadership and expertise across various sectors, she offers coaching and leadership programs tailored to individual and organisational needs.

When Jo isn’t transforming company cultures, you’ll find her managing her 3 teenage girls’ busy social calendars. She’s a dab hand in the kitchen and true to form, loves to keep her food real. And if she isn’t doing either of those you will find her out in nature walking her dog or lifting a barbell in the gym.

Find out more about Jo here: https://jocowlin.com/

Connect with Jo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocowlin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-cowlin/

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

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