Every January, millions set new year's resolutions. 'This year I'll exercise regularly.' 'This year I'll read a book a month.' 'This year I'll start my business.'
Weeks later, 80% are back to square one. Why?
The common answer: weak willpower. But research says something different.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about **'activation energy'** — the effort required to start. When an action aligns with your strengths and temperament, starting is easy. When it conflicts with them, every beginning is a battle.
Example: a naturally social person trying to build a solo morning running habit. They'll burn energy on every start. But if they turn it into a walk with a friend, or a group class, the barrier disappears.
The same principle applies to every change. **The right action comes from awareness**:
- Awareness of your strengths
- Awareness of your patterns
- Awareness of your environment
In the **Jump** stage of Coring, we use 'The Funnel' tool to filter every action against:
1. Alignment with your core values
2. Alignment with your strengths
3. Realistic feasibility now
Actions that pass these filters don't need much willpower — they're actions that look like you.
