by John C. Norcross, Ph.D.
An inability (or unwillingness) to change can present a formidable barrier to personal and career success. A more heartbreaking scenario is an individual who makes repeated attempts to change only to fall prey to the same stumbling blocks each time. John C. Norcross, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Scranton, has spent more than three decades researching and working with people to overcome behavioral challenges. His new book Changeology: Five Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions makes a bold claim by stating, “Unlike 95 percent of self-help books, the Changeology plan has a documented track record of success.” Leaders have an opportunity to put Norcross’ work to the test. Changeology is now available for download as a Soundview Executive Book Summary.
While the summary can be read in about an hour, executives will need to commit a minimum of 90 days to help a behavior change take root. Norcross describes research that demonstrated 75 percent of people stick with a change behavior for one week only to fall back into their old patterns. For those that work on a new behavior for 90 days, “the probability of relapse after that is modest,” Norcross writes.
Changeology provides readers with five steps to execute a change. The steps (Psych, Prep, Perspire, Persevere and Persist) are described in detail and matched to particular segments of the 90-day timeframe. For each step, Norcross provides exercises or instructions that give the Changeology method more structure than other personal change books that give a loose framework and rely on the reader to fill in the gaps.
One of the strongest sections of Changeology is Norcross’ deconstruction of five “self-defeating” myths about change. By attacking frequently named barriers, such as reliance on willpower and genetic inability to overcome certain behavior issues, Norcross gives readers a head-start on the mental journey to successful change.
