Take Change One Step at a Time: A Smarter Way to Navigate Change at Work.

By Life Coach Jilly – supporting professionals to navigate change, life transitions, and growth with clarity and confidence. 14 April 2026.

The Change Cycle, as taught by Martha Beck, gave me permission to pause and process—rather than rush to solve.

So often, especially in corporate environments or high-pressure situations, it feels like action is expected… or even required immediately. Whether it’s a major life transition, a “catalytic event” at work (like technology change, restructures, redundancies), or even self-initiated change (promotions, career pivots, aligned departures), the instinct is often: do something now.

But here’s a reality check. After a big change, there needs to be a moment where we recognise that things won’t ever be the same again.

Only then can we mentally and physically prepare to think clearly, plan intentionally, and eventually move into aligned action - before landing in the sweet spot of polishing and perfecting. You can be going through multiple steps of the Change Cycle in different areas of work and life.

This is my adapted version for my Corporate clients and set out in steps, based on the Change Cycle framework for navigating life transitions and personal growth. (For the original framework by Martha Beck, you can explore that separately here.)

1) PAUSE & PROCESS

During the Pause & Process phase, there is a lot of reflection and emotional processing.

We begin to understand our position in relation to the catalytic event or life change:

• What am I feeling?

• What story am I telling myself about this?

• What feels heavy, unresolved, or unclear?

Do we have any baggage or unhelpful thoughts lingering that are stopping us from moving forward in a grounded way?

Most clients start here—and it can feel really heavy. That’s exactly why it’s harder to see a way through. This is not the phase to force progress.

This is the phase for:

• Talking

• Processing

• Understanding your deepest, wisest self

• Listening to what you actually need

TIP:
Helpful questions in this phase might be:

• “What am I making this mean?”

• “What unhelpful thoughts might I be carrying?”

You can then take these through “The Work” by Byron Katie to gently challenge those beliefs.

This leopard is rest and making sense of all this change.

2) THINK & PLAN

Once there is even a small hint of optimism, curiosity, or energy about what’s next—you’re ready to move into Think & Plan.

This stage is safe. It’s just you and your ideas.
There’s no external judgment—only your internal feedback.

You begin to imagine:

• What could I do next?

• What do I actually want?

• What might this change make possible?

As soon as you start imagining, your body gives you feedback—and that helps shape your direction.

Important: You cannot bypass this stage. Nice try.

If you jump straight from Pause & Process into Take Action, without clarity or excitement, you’ll likely experience:

• Rushing poor outcomes or rejection that knocks your confidence

• Wrong tree syndrome putting effort into things that clearly aren’t aligned

• Procrastination pressure builds, quality drops, and frustration increases

• Oscillation bouncing between overthinking and forced action (hello Monopoly “Go to Jail” energy)

Yes, you might get real-world feedback by skipping ahead—but after a major life change, that feedback can be exhausting.

The wiser move is to conserve your energy and be discerning.

Because when you finally take action from a clear, aligned place:

• It’s received better

• It’s noticed

• It works

It’s like the universe starts saying: “Yes—this way.”
Doors that once felt locked begin to open.

TIP:
Grab a pen and paper. Write down your ideas, ambitions, or possible next steps.

Read them out loud and notice how they land.

A favourite exercise example is drafting an email about a big decision, such as a resignation letter, or feedback to a colleague (even if you don’t send it). You’ll instantly feel whether it’s aligned—or not.

A leopard is open and ready to look ahead.

3) TAKE ACTION

Once you’ve processed the change and landed on a clear plan, you’re ready to take aligned and conscious action.

This is where what was once “on paper” starts becoming real.

It requires:

• Bravery

• Choosing yourself

• Taking action with fear (not waiting for fear to disappear)

Because real confidence? It’s built through action—not before it.

Do it scared. Then you’ll know you can do it again.

TIP:
Break down your action into small doable steps. Create a reward system.

Taking action is energy-intensive. If you don’t consciously celebrate progress, burnout can creep in quickly. Make the process rewarding so you stay motivated and consistent.

A bountiful leopard pounces towards its goals and dreams.

4) POLISH & PERFECT

At this stage, you’ve found your rhythm.

What once felt unfamiliar is now becoming normal — almost effortless.

This is where you:

• Optimise

• Refine

• Improve

• Elevate

You’re no longer surviving the change—you’re thriving in it.

This is the phase of:

• Mastery

• Confidence

• Ease

And importantly, enjoyment.

TIP:
Once you’re feeling close to 90%, make sure to stop and smell the roses - you’ve done plenty.

Leopard takes a much deserved drink break from a busy day of moving through the change cycle.

Real-Life Examples of the Change Cycle

Catalytic Event: Organisational Change (Redundancies & Restructures)

1.) Pause & Process

• Understand what’s happening

• Clarify impacts on your role

• Ask questions and talk to colleagues

• Feel the emotions (confusion, frustration, uncertainty)

2.) Think & Plan

• Identify new skills or responsibilities

• Prioritise and set boundaries

• Weigh pros and cons

• Plan how you want to show up and succeed

3.) Take Action

• Communicate your capacity to lead or support others

• Handover or wrap up tasks

• Build relationships in new teams

• Start new responsibilities

4.) Polish & Perfect

• New tasks become BAU

• Improve systems, processes, and communication

The experience of moving up and down and around a company through organisational change.

Catalytic Event: Organisational Change (Technology / System Change)

1.) Pause & Process

• Initial reactions: frustration, resistance, confusion, overwhelm

• Work through the classic: “Why are we changing this if the old way worked?”

• Fear around capability: “Will I be able to learn this?”

• Processing the loss of competence (going from confident to beginner again)

• Noticing any unhelpful thoughts about the change or leadership decisions

2.) Think & Plan

• What skills or knowledge do I need to build?

• How can I make this transition easier for myself?

• What support, training, or resources are available to me?

• How might this actually benefit me long-term (career growth, efficiency, exposure)?

• What mindset do I want to bring into this change?

3.) Take Action

• Attend training sessions or self-learn the new system, and ask questions early instead of struggling in silence

• Practice using the new tools/processes regularly and offer to support others who may be struggling once confident

• Start integrating the new way of working into daily tasks

4.) Polish & Perfect

• The system/process becomes second nature

• You find faster or smarter ways of working within it and help optimise workflows or suggest improvements

• You become a go-to person for others navigating the change

• Confidence is restored (and often expanded beyond where it was before)

Step into the future of digital and technology expectations.

Catalytic Event: Notice to Vacate / Relocation

1.) Pause & Process

• Process shock, fear, grief

• Reflect on what you’ll miss (and what you won’t)

• Say goodbye to your old home or office

• Begin accepting the reality of change

2.) Think & Plan

• Research new areas

• Decide: rent or buy?

• Consider living arrangements and define budget and non-negotiables

• Start to feel hopeful about moving

3.) Take Action

• Register and attend inspections

• Apply for homes

• Book movers

• Move house

3.) Polish & Perfect

• Add new decorative pieces to make the space feel like yours

• The rental becomes a home

Moving can be hard. Here is a picture of someone who skipped steps 1 & 2.

Catalytic Event: Relationship Ending (Business or Personal)

1.) Pause & Process

• Rest, Grieve and say goodbye

• Reflect on lessons and growth

• Reconnect with your identity

2.) Think & Plan

• Do I need a new relationship - or time alone?

• What relationship do I want to prioritise now?

• What does an aligned future relationship look like?

3.) Take Action

• Intentionally build new connections

• Spend time getting to know yourself

• Try new experiences and social activities

4.) Polish & Perfect

• Strengthen meaningful relationships

• Show up fully for yourself and others

A pair look out to contemplate their future across a bay.

Closing out

Hopefully you found this adaptation of the Change Cycle helpful, and that you can now identify where you might be sitting in any given change to help you move through it better.

Whether it’s managing change at work, inspecting homes or offices that don’t feel right, forcing career moves too early, or jumping into new relationships before healing — skipping steps creates more friction, not less.

Even when life feels urgent, you still have time to:

• Pause & Process

• Think & Plan

• Take Action

• Polish & Perfect

And when you do?
Your actions become clearer, more powerful, and far more effective.

And the best part?
Change is constant—so you’ll get plenty of chances to practice.

When you do… come back to this framework.

Learn more about Life Coach Jilly and how I support individuals navigating change.

Life Coach Jilly - Melbourne based professional coach.