The 3 Vehicles for Change
How We Move From Who We Are to Who We Want to Become
Every change you want in life comes down to one thing:
Consistently aligning your actions with your desired outcomes.
Sounds simple.
It’s not.
That’s why we have a multi-billion dollar self-help industry.
We all say we want certain outcomes—less pain, better health, deeper relationships, more confidence, stronger boundaries, more consistency, more peace—but our actions rarely match those intentions.
The reason is not lack of desire.
It’s lack of frameworks, systems, and skills to navigate the resistance on your path to those outcomes. From my 20 years in coaching I’ve identified three stages that result in sustainable, lasting change.
Here are the 3 Vehicles of Change:
Habit
Discipline
Navigation (the messy, emotional work few want to actually do)
Let’s break them down.
1. Habit: The Autonomus, Self-Driving Vehicle
Habit is the most efficient vehicle of change because it requires almost zero energy.
A habit is an action you’ve repeated enough times that it becomes unconscious.
It runs without friction.
It bypasses resistance entirely.
Your brain loves habits because they save energy.
And the brain’s top priority is efficiency.
When a behavior becomes a habit, it’s like your nervous system says:
“Don’t worry, I got this.”
This is where we want all of our important behaviors to live:
Strength training
Eating in alignment with your goals
Going to bed on time
Speaking honestly
Brushing our teeth
Daily movement
Emotional check-ins
Meditation
Journaling
Whatever matters most
When something becomes a habit, it becomes a default identity behavior—you do it because it’s who you are, not because you negotiated with yourself.
But here’s the truth no one likes to own:
Habits take time to build.
There’s no hack, no shortcut, no 21-day magic.
Habits are the destination—not the starting point.
And before a habit becomes a habit, you have to pass through the next vehicle.
2. Discipline: The High Powered, Off-Road 4x4
Discipline is the stage before habit. It’s the rugged, power through any resistance vehicle of change.
It’s the ability to take action, quickly, regardless of how you feel.
Discipline looks like this:
Alarm goes off at 5:00am.
Your first thought: I don’t want to.
And then by 5:00:15 you’re on your feet.
Or:
“I don’t feel like going on this run.”
And then one minute later your shoes are on and you’re out the door.
Or:
“I don’t want to cook tonight.”
And then you’re chopping vegetables anyway.
Discipline is quick.
It’s strong.
But requires some fuel.
There’s resistance, but it’s small enough that you can step over it. You don’t have to dig deep. You don’t have to psych yourself up. You don’t have to unravel your childhood trauma before acting.
Discipline requires more energy than habit, but is still pretty efficient.
If Habit is the neural superhighway—fast, smooth, automatic—then Discipline is the same highway, but there’s still construction cones on the side and a few potholes lingering around.
Still drivable.
Still gets you there.
Just not quite effortless.
Most people think the path to change is all discipline.
But discipline isn’t the starting point.
Before discipline comes the clunkiest vehicle of all…
3. Navigation: The ‘92 Honda Accord Hand-me Down from Grandma
Navigation is where almost everyone fails—not because they can’t do the behaviors, but because they don’t have the skillset to become aware, understand, influence, and communicate their internal world.
Navigation is when:
Old habits are breaking
New habits aren’t built yet
Resistance is loud
Emotions are messy
Thoughts are conflicted
Identity is shifting
Outcomes are unclear
Fear is present
This is the stage people mistake as “failure,” when in reality it’s the stage where all meaningful change actually begins.
Navigation is emotional.
It’s psychological.
It’s personal.
It’s vulnerable.
It’s human.
And this is where the Self-Leadership Framework lives:
Awareness
Seeing the resistance—both external and internal (thoughts, feelings, emotions).
Naming the patterns, habits, defaults, stories, fears, impulses, urges.
Curiosity
Asking why they’re here.
What purpose they served.
What they’re protecting.
What they’re afraid of losing.
Clarity
Getting clear on:
the desired outcome
the reasons it matters
the secure motivations
the plan
the boundaries
the identity you’re stepping into
And all the reasons WHY it matters.
Clarity reduces friction before action.
Ownership
Taking full responsibility for:
where you’re starting
what you’ve avoided
what needs to change
how you’re going to move forward
Ownership turns intention into empowerment.
Action
Not perfect.
Not heroic.
Not aesthetic.
Action as in:
One aligned rep.
Action begins the rewiring.
Action builds the pathway toward discipline.
Action creates the conditions for habits to eventually form.
Navigation is the messy, emotional stage of change—the one no one wants to admit they’re in, but the one we all must pass through.
It’s also the most meaningful stage, because it’s where you learn:
who you are
what you fear
what you avoid
how you respond
what stories run your life
where your resistance lives
and what you’re truly capable of
Navigation is the birthplace of change.
The Sequence of Real Change
Change from the bottom follows this flow:
Navigation → Discipline → Habit
Most people try to start at Habit (go all or nothing…and get nothing).
Or rely only on Discipline (without honestly meeting the resistance it overcomes).
Or skip Navigation entirely (never uproots old patterns).
Habits are the goal.
Discipline is the path .
Navigation is the foundation.
If you’re struggling to be consistent, it’s not because you’re weak or unmotivated.
It’s because you’re in the Navigation stage—and no one taught you how to navigate your inner world.
That’s what the Self-Leadership Practice is for.
The Vehicle You’re In Determines the Strategy You Need
If you’re in Habit, focus on refinement.
If you’re in Discipline, focus on repetition.
If you’re in Navigation, focus on emotional awareness, clarity, and self-leadership.
Different stage.
Different tools.
Different expectations.
The key is knowing which vehicle you’re in, and why.
This Is How You Change Your Life
Change isn’t magic.
Change isn’t linear.
Change isn’t heroic.
Change is a process of moving from:
Messy Navigation to Consistent Discipline to Automatic Habits
This is how you build a life aligned with your values, your goals, and your vision of yourself.
Not by force.
Not by shame.
Not by “trying harder.”
But by learning to work with the truth of human behavior—and the truth of your internal world.
Change is simply the art of aligning action with outcomes...and Self-Leadership is the foundation that it’s built on.
Do you have an outcome you’re after and struggling to align actions with? Let’s just on a free 30 minute coaching call and i’ll set you up with your next steps. Schedule Here.