The 5 Bridges to Progress: A Better Way to Create Change
I was on a coaching call recently when a successful business owner said something that made me stop and think.
“I’ve been reviewing where we are after Q1, and I have this massive list of things I want to change and improve. But every time I look at it, I feel completely overwhelmed.”
I’ve heard this exact sentiment hundreds of times. Whether someone is planning for the next quarter, the next year, or just trying to make meaningful improvements in their business, sport, or life, they fall into the same trap.
They create a list that’s 80% “start doing this” and “stop doing that.”
And then they wonder why they feel exhausted before they even begin.
The Willpower Trap
Starting new behaviors and stopping existing ones are the two most willpower-intensive actions you can take. Most people don’t realize this. When they’re planning changes, they focus almost entirely on these two categories.
When you say “I need to start working out” or “I need to stop checking email first thing in the morning,” you’re asking your brain to override existing patterns and create entirely new ones.
That takes enormous mental energy.
Now imagine doing that for 10 or 15 different areas of your life simultaneously. No wonder most change plans fail within weeks.
The 5 Bridges Framework
After working with high-performers for 28+ years, I’ve developed what I call the ‘5 Bridges to Progress’. It’s a simple framework that leverages momentum instead of fighting against it.
Every change you want to make falls into one of five categories:
- Start: Begin something entirely new
- Stop: Eliminate something you’re currently doing
- Continue: Keep doing something that’s working
- More: Increase something you’re already doing
- Less: Decrease something you’re already doing
Most people focus on the first two because they think change means doing completely different things. Elite performers focus on the last three because they understand that sustainable progress builds on existing momentum.
Swim With the Current
Here’s the key insight: when you’re already doing something, you have momentum.
If you’re already having weekly team meetings but they’re inconsistent, it’s much easier to do “more” structured meetings than to “start” an entirely new communication system.
If you’re already tracking some business metrics but getting overwhelmed by data, it’s easier to track “less” metrics than to “stop” tracking entirely and “start” a completely different system.
You’re working with existing habits and patterns instead of against them.
The Danger Zones
I call “start” and “stop” the danger zones because they’re where most change plans go to die.
I was recently facilitating this framework with a client. They got excited and started listing everything they wanted to change:
“We need to start doing this…”
“We need to stop doing that…”
By the time we finished, the list was mostly “starts” and “stops.”
I asked:
“How does looking at this list make you feel?”
The answer was immediate:
“Completely overwhelmed.”
Here’s why:
Every “start” and “stop” requires your brain to override existing neural pathways and create new ones. When you stack 10 or 15 of these together, you’re asking your prefrontal cortex – the part responsible for willpower and decision-making – to manage an impossible cognitive load.
It’s like trying to juggle while someone keeps throwing more balls at you.
One Question That Flips the Script
Here’s what I told them:
“What if we moved some of these from ‘start’ and ‘stop’ to ‘continue,’ ‘more,’ and ‘less’?”
Instead of “start building a leadership development program,” we reframed it as “do more structured mentoring” (they already had informal mentoring happening).
Instead of “stop micromanaging,” we made it “delegate more decisions to department heads” while they built trust gradually.
Instead of “start implementing new performance metrics,” it became “continue tracking the KPIs that drive results” and “do less reporting on vanity metrics.”
The energy in the room completely shifted. What felt impossible suddenly felt manageable.
The 80/20 Rule for Change
Here’s my rule: 80% of your change plan should be “continue, more, less.” Only 20% should be “start, stop.”
Why? Because sustainable change builds on existing momentum. You want to swim with the current, not against it.
When you do need to use “start” or “stop,” make sure it’s for the highest-impact changes only. And limit yourself to one or two maximum.
How to Apply This Framework
Next time you’re planning changes – whether for your business, your health, your relationships, or any other area – try this process:
- Make your initial list of everything you want to change
- Categorize each item into Start, Stop, Continue, More, or Less
- Count how many items are in Start and Stop
- If it’s more than 2-3 total, start moving things to Continue, More, or Less
- Ask yourself: “What am I already doing that I could do more of or less of to achieve this same goal?”
The Power of Momentum
Elite performers understand something that most people miss: momentum is more powerful than motivation.
Motivation gets you started. Momentum keeps you going.
When you build your change plan around existing momentum – doing more of what’s working, less of what isn’t, and continuing what’s effective – you’re setting yourself up for sustainable progress instead of willpower burnout.
Your Next Move
Look at whatever changes you’re trying to make right now. How many of them are “starts” and “stops”?
If it’s more than a couple, you might be setting yourself up for failure.
Try reframing some of those changes using “continue, more, less.” You might be surprised how much easier the path forward becomes.
Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Sometimes the most powerful progress comes from doing more of what’s already working and less of what isn’t.
The bridges are already there. You just need to choose the right ones to cross.
Be Bold. Take Action. Leave a Mark.
Todd Herman
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