Logical, Biological, or Psychological
I was listening to a recent episode of the podcast Focused and it happened to feature Cat Mulvihill. Cat and I have crossed paths online several times so I was excited to get to learn a little bit more about her and her work.
Cat is certified in a framework called Immunity to Change. I was first introduced to Immunity to Change in 2013 when I had the privilege of completing the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Institute for Educational Management. The authors of the book, Immunity to Change, Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, were co-presenters for a half-day seminar during the program.
Cat's interview reminded me that I should probably go back and re-read Kegan and Lahey's book. I loved it, but I read it at a time before I had a good system for note-taking on books and, sadly, I remember painfully little of it.
But, Cat also presented the three roadblocks test for when you're feeling stuck with something. I'm going to attribute this framework to her because I don't recall it from Immunity to Change. If that's wrong, the error is mine.
In this framework, you identify what you're stuck on and then you proceed to see if what's keeping you stuck is logical, biological, or psychological. Let's walk through it with an example. Let's say starting and keeping a workout regimen of some sort isn't happening for you. We'll begin just by looking at the types of blocks and then we'll talk about ways to solve them.
The first test is logical - are there knowledge or skills you're missing that would make this task doable? Perhaps you don't know what time an exercise class you like is. Perhaps you don't know what the best exercises are for the specific areas of focus you have. Perhaps you just need to find out what the weather is going to be this week. Or, perhaps you've hurt yourself while exercising in the past and you want to avoid injury this time.
The second test is biological - is there something about the way your mind or body works that is keeping this from happening for you? Building on the injury example, are you recovering from an injury and wondering what type of exercise is safe for you? Or, everything you read online says you should exercise in the morning but you are NOT a morning person, despite what the world wants you to be.
The third test is psychological - do you have a belief, whether acknowledged or unacknowledged, that is keeping you stuck? Using the example of injury, perhaps you're worried, whether consciously or unconsciously, that working out again after an injury is simply going to begin the process of injury and recovery all over again and you want to avoid that. Or, perhaps you're fearful that if you join a class you're going to be the "worst one" in the class and you don't want to be embarrassed.
Since injury showed up in all three tests, I hope you can see that there may be one, two, or even all three of these keeping you stuck at any one time.
According to Cat, each type of block requires a different approach to clear it. Logical roadblocks require methods, biological roadblocks require modes, and psychological roadblocks require mindsets. Her approach to these is interesting, but I think the order is the most important part. If you're trying to clear these roadblocks for yourself, you need to clear them in this order: Logical, Biological, Psychological. So, let's look at how to clear them.
To clear a logical roadblock you need to answer all the what questions. What do I need to know to do this? What do I need to have to do this? These can sometimes be cleared easily simply by looking up the information you need online or by making a phone call. In other situations, you may need to learn a new skill by asking a friend for help, watching YouTube or reading online, or by taking a class.
To clear biological roadblocks, you need to answer how questions. You answer the logical questions first because you need that information before you can shape it to fit how your mind and body work. If you're struggling with this, Cat introduces the BEEP acronym - Biology, Environment, Expectations, and Preferences. You may need to ask yourself questions in each of these categories to uncover and clear the various blocks to how your specific mind and body work.
To clear psychological roadblocks, we're answering why questions. Why does this feel risky? Why do I believe it will turn out badly? Naming the belief, out loud or on paper, is often what loosens its grip.
I've been using this idea of logical, biological, or psychological on and off since hearing it a few weeks ago and it has been helpful to think through what's holding me back in a variety of areas. What are you stuck on right now, and which of the three is it? You can do that by hitting reply on this email or posting in Circle.
