New Year’s Agile Resolutions & The Valley of Disappointment

New Year, new me? Or New Year, new organization? New Year, new Agile team that you are working hard to improve or turn around? New product opportunities? The list is endless on what the new year could mean for you, your business, or the company you are supporting. 

But what happens when the steam runs out in the next couple of months? What if change comes too slowly? Or you once again get too lost in the sauce of your life to follow through on all the changes you wanted to implement? How do we not fall into frustration with ourselves and others when our best efforts seem to be in vain?

For that, allow me to share a concept and slice of advice from “Atomic Habits”, by James Clear, called the Valley of Disappointment. I recently revisited this topic at the recommendation of my personal trainer after expressing some frustrations about not attaining my current fitness goals. Atomic Habits is a great book and I encourage anyone involved in change, personal or otherwise, to give it a read. 

The Valley of Disappointment is a metaphor for the frustration we feel when our efforts to change are not being met with the result we are expecting, either by the change not being fast enough or the results not being as dramatic. It can even feel like we are backsliding or seeing no improvement whatsoever.   

The Valley of Disappointment grows wider as time goes on until there is a tipping point where change starts to occur. Basically, it is the concept that change is not linear, but a consistent effort that turns when a pinnacle is reached. This pinnacle, usually, is not obvious for most changes, but one of those, "You will know it when you see it” moments. See the example picture below for an example of this principle playing out.

The Valley of Disappointment is a metaphor for the frustration we feel when our efforts to change are not being met with the result we are expecting, either by the change not being fast enough or the results not being as dramatic. It can even feel like we are backsliding or seeing no improvement whatsoever.   

The Valley of Disappointment grows wider as time goes on and we continue to plateau until there is a tipping point where change starts to occur. Basically, it is the concept that change is not linear, but a consistent effort that turns when a pinnacle is reached. This pinnacle, usually, is not obvious for most changes, but one of those, "You will know it when you see it” moments. See the example picture below for an example of this principle playing out.

The best example of this concept is an ice cube melting. If you have an ice cube in a room that is 26 degrees Fahrenheit, it won’t melt. Turn the temperature up a couple of degrees, and it still won't melt. You are still raising the temperature and putting in the effort…but the ice cube is simply not going to melt until the room slowly hits 32 degrees Fahrenheit. You would not be mad or frustrated at an ice cube for not melting till the correct temperature was reached, so why get mad at yourself for the same thing?

So, how do I stay motivated to continue to change and keep consistent even when it feels like I am backsliding or my organization is not budging?

Here are my top tips and tricks for persevering in those moments:

1. Have Grace: Change takes more time than you might want to give it. Real change isn't instantly gratifying initially.

2. Stay Consistent: Less is more and be realistic with small change over time more than big change that burns out quickly.

3. Set Small Goals: In line with being consistent, set small goals for yourself, your organization, or your team. You can even keep these to yourself for your team or the organization to help yourself feel successful without outside influence.

4. Don't rely on internal motivation all the time: Our motivation ebbs and flows like our emotions and circumstances, little goals, consistent pace, and checking the box on change even when you don't feel like it will keep the temperature rising in the right direction

5. Get a Coach/Accountable-A-Buddy: All of the above is hard to do over long periods. I have a trainer to help me and I work with people that use me as their accountability buddy, so allow someone else to help you and be there for your success and your organization's success.

Go forth and conquer...but iteratively and meaningfully. Don't give up and see that scale tip this next year!