Recently, while enjoying an afternoon by the river, I revisited a podcast conversation between my friends and colleagues, Chris Murman, Colleen Johnson, and Esther Derby, from “way back in 2019.” You know, that quaint era when our biggest worry was whether someone would snag the last donut in the office break room, not whether the break room itself would become an endangered species.
They were discussing Esther’s (then new) book: “Seven Rules for Positive Productive Change – Micro Shifts, Macro Results” – a guide to creating meaningful transformation through small, intentional actions. As they explored how organizations can navigate change more effectively, something struck me. Here we are, five years later, swimming in a sea of unprecedented upheaval – from geopolitical tensions to climate crisis, from economic uncertainty to technological disruption – and I found myself wondering: how do these insights about organizational change apply to personal growth and resilience? Particularly mine. (Because let’s face it, that’s about all I have even a whisper of influence over these days!)
In a world where FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) travels at the speed of a tweet and multiplies faster than cat videos, finding personal agency feels more crucial than ever. Back in 2019, terms like “doomscrolling” and “zoom fatigue” weren’t part of our daily vocabulary. Now? Well, let’s just say my thumb has developed a PhD in infinite-scroll physics, with a minor in anxiety-induced refreshing.
The Power of Micro Shifts & Grace
“No matter how detailed the plan, it cannot make the uncertain certain,” Esther pointed out in the podcast. I laughed out loud at this part – partly because it’s so true, and partly because it perfectly described my recent and detailed plan to reawaken the long-distance runner in me resulting in debilitating knee pain by week two of getting ready to run the local Turkey Trot…
But here’s the thing about micro shifts: they work precisely because they’re small enough not to cause physical damage to our bodies or trigger our internal panic alarm. When Esther talked about positioning changes as experiments rather than mandates, it hit home. Instead of declaring “I SHALL BECOME THE PICTURE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS!” (which inevitably leads to three days of kale-and-berry smoothies, followed by a cookie-based existential crisis and ice packs on various body parts), I’m experimenting with smaller changes. Just seeing what sticks, one tiny habit at a time…
Some days that means re-establishing a morning meditation practice (yes, my mind still wanders to my to-do list every 3.7 seconds). Other days it’s doing yoga (I highly recommend Yoga With Adriene. She has a 30-day practice w 20-minute sessions), ERG rowing, or simply walking while actually noticing the natural world around me instead of checking my phone every few paces.
Progress isn’t linear (as Strava so diligently reminds me), and perfection isn’t the point. I’ll get back to distance running eventually, but for now these micro shifts are creating their own kind of marathon.
Creating Space for Change
One of many “yep moments” from the podcast was their discussion of what Esther calls “slack in the system” – intentional space for learning, adaptation, and yes, occasionally doing absolutely nothing. My 2019 “productivity at all costs/run 1,000 miles a year” self would be clutching their spreadsheets in horror at the very thought.
So this year, I’m embracing the radical act of walking – not running – the Turkey Trot’s 1-mile course. And you know what? It took me 60 days to complete Adriene’s “30-Day” Yoga Journey, and I’ve finally made peace with that math. These aren’t failures of discipline; they’re experiments in giving myself permission to simply be. (Though I’m still working on convincing my inner productivity police that staring out the window is meditation in disguise, not procrastination.)
As part of creating this space, I’m also setting aside “maker time” for creative pursuits without specific deliverables. I’m learning to draw from the right side of my brain (though the left side occasionally files complains about being excluded).
Intentional Connections
In the podcast, they explored how real change flows through networks of relationships, not formal organizational structures. As Esther pointed out – and this feels more relevant than ever:
“Every interaction, each meeting is an opportunity to honor what has been, show empathy, foster trust and build engagement in a change.”
Just as organizational transformation doesn’t happen through mandate or org chart shuffling, personal growth rarely comes through spreadsheets and checklists alone.
In our hyper-connected yet paradoxically isolated world, I’ve been experimenting with what I call “intentional connection moments.” It starts with a simple awareness: every person I encounter – whether in person or on Zoom – carries a lifetime of hopes, fears, loves, and heartaches that I’ll never fully know. Yet even without knowing their full story, I can still create moments of genuine connection through small, authentic interactions.
These micro-connections take many forms:
- Reaching out to friends for walk-and-talk sessions (yes, this is a real invitation – if you’re reading this and want to join me, ping me!)
- Sharing a genuine laugh with the postal worker about our mutual battle with packing tape
- Expressing specific appreciation to the barista who transforms my macchiato into temporary art
- Creating space for a stranger to merge into heavy traffic, accompanied by a friendly light-flash (because sometimes kindness looks like yielding right-of-way)
- Sending a quick “thinking of you” text to a colleague who I haven’t been in touch with recently
- Actually listening during video calls instead of secretly multi-tasking (still a work in progress!)
Like Esther’s micro shifts in organizations, these small moments of connection compound over time, creating webs of support and understanding that become invaluable during times of change.
Personal Agency in Chaos
In the podcast, they explored how what we often label as “resistance” usually stems from a deeper issue: lack of control. Colleen shared a powerful insight about how teams react when change is imposed rather than co-created. This resonates far beyond the workplace – I see this same principle playing out in my personal life. When global headlines feel overwhelming, I’ve learned to redirect my focus to those small, manageable changes where I actually have influence.
I’ve discovered unexpected power in establishing simple routines – regular sleep schedules, intentional movement, mindful eating. (Though I’ll admit, sometimes my “mindful eating” looks suspiciously like mindfully convincing myself that chocolate, being a bean product, clearly counts as a vegetable. Look, we all have our own interpretation of change management principles.)
Beyond my fitness experiments, I’ve embarked on another journey in agency – returning to ceramics after a 30-year hiatus. Turns out, clay might be the ultimate teacher of both agency and humility. (Apparently, telling the clay “but I’m an agile coach, you sho uld listen to me” doesn’t magically restore decades-old pottery skills. Who knew?)
What’s fascinating is how perfectly ceramics illustrates Esther’s principles about change and control. Agency, I’m learning, isn’t about controlling outcomes – it’s about choosing how we show up. Whether I’m opening a kiln to discover how the fire left its marks as it danced around the clay or facing another day of global uncertainty, the principle is the same: focus on how I engage with what emerges, rather than trying to control every variable.
While I can’t control a world that often feels like it’s spinning off its axis, I can choose how I engage with it. This means setting firm boundaries around my news consumption (because contrary to my 3 AM beliefs, doomscrolling isn’t actually a productive form of “staying informed”). For me, agency emerges through seemingly small choices:
- Saying “no” more often (thank you, Anne Lamott, for reminding us that “No is a complete sentence“)
- Choosing when to engage with news and social media
- Deciding which changes to focus on today
- Accepting that some pots will crack in the kiln, some runs will be walks, and some days will be more about surviving than thriving
And that’s okay. As Esther reminds us in her book, change isn’t about perfection – it’s about progress through small, intentional shifts.
Moving Forward: Small Shifts, Big Possibilities
As I reflect on that 2019 podcast conversation through the lens of 2024’s challenges, I’m struck by how timeless the 7 Rules are. In organizations, we often think transformation requires grand reorganizations or sweeping mandates. In our personal lives, we tend toward equally dramatic declarations of change. But Esther, Chris, and Colleen’s discussion remind us of a gentler truth: meaningful change – whether organizational or personal – emerges from small, intentional shifts accumulating over time. It’s about giving ourselves grace when we wobble (whether it’s a misshapen pot or a missed meditation), creating space for experimentation (even when that means spectacular failures), and maintaining connections that ground us when everything else feels uncertain.
I’m still learning to navigate these delicate balances: between agency and acceptance, between growth and grace, between changing what I can and accepting what I can’t. Some days I catch a glimpse of getting it right – a perfectly centered pot, a mindful morning routine, a moment of genuine connection. Other days, well… let’s just say my blanket fort construction skills are getting quite refined, and I’m considering adding “Advanced Blanket Architecture” to my LinkedIn skills. But maybe that’s exactly the point – growth isn’t about reaching some mythical destination of perfect transformation, it’s about staying curious and open to the journey, one micro shift at a time.
As Esther emphasized in the podcast, “You have to look at what holds the existing pattern in place.” In organizations, this might mean examining policies, structures, and unspoken rules that maintain the status quo. In our personal lives, it means looking at the habits, beliefs, and patterns that keep us stuck. For me, that meant examining what fed my sense of powerlessness and making conscious choices to create new patterns. It meant accepting that while I can’t control the world’s chaos, I can choose how I engage with it – whether that’s through mindful movement, creative exploration, or intentional connection.
So here’s my invitation to you: What small shifts might create space for your growth? Where might you find pockets of agency in your daily life? What experiments could you try this week? Maybe it’s:
- A ten-minute morning ritual
- A new creative pursuit
- A different way of connecting with colleagues
- A boundary around your time or energy
- Or simply permission to be imperfect in your attempts
And hey, if you want to explore these questions together during a walk & talk, you know where to find me. After all, as my friends’ conversation from 2019 reminds us, the most powerful changes often start with the smallest steps. And sometimes, those steps involve chocolate. Or wobbly pottery. Or blanket forts. Or all three – because who says transformation can’t be delicious, creative, and cozy? I’m just saying.
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