Waters Center Blog
The role of a leader can be daunting. As an elementary principal, I remember the feeling of dodging through a hailstorm, as matters of varying degrees of urgency and importance came hurtling at me from all directions. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not much!
Today, the landscape of public education is shifting dramatically. Educators and school leaders are navigating a steady stream of challenges, from polarized public discourse to significant changes in policy and funding structures. These changes have left many hard-working, highly skilled practitioners second-guessing themselves or striving even harder to uphold their values, beliefs, and professional expertise.
How can those working in public education manage, sustain, and even thrive amid such uncertainty?
An Overview of How One Elementary School Introduced a Mindfulness Initiative
Almost a decade ago, well before the COVID-19 pandemic and today’s heightened political discourse surrounding education, my school made a decision to embrace mindfulness as part of our school improvement plan. The American Psychological Association defines mindfulness as "awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings." With this in mind, we set out to create a culture of presence, reflection, and regulation across our community.
We began by engaging the faculty in professional learning about mindfulness. We partnered with a local expert to learn about what mindfulness is, its benefits, how to practice it ourselves, and how to facilitate it with young children in a meaningful and manageable way.
Next, we introduced mindfulness into daily classroom routines. Using a research-based CASEL SELect program, we explicitly taught students about their brains and how they work. Teachers utilized a variety of mindfulness tools during transitions throughout their days to help students prepare for learning. For example, after recess, a teacher might dim the lights and allow students a few moments of mindful coloring at their seats before inviting them to the rug to begin the lesson. Others might begin by guiding students in a “Five-Finger Breathing” exercise, while some might choose to invite students to focus on the sound of a chime as it became fainter and silenced, signaling when they could no longer hear it. We also utilized storytelling - oral and children’s books - to convey the theme of mindfulness and presence.
Many classrooms established “mindful corners” where students could spend a few moments when they needed to reset or self-regulate. Though each such corner was unique, these were generally equipped with a cozy place to sit, as well as a variety of tools from which students could choose (stress balls, kinetic sand, glitter jars, etc.).
Beyond the classroom, we wove mindfulness into the rhythm of school life. As principal, as part of our morning video announcements, I proclaimed each Monday to be “Mindful Monday,” and guided the school in a brief mindful exercise to begin the week. We began our staff meetings and professional learning sessions with a “Mindful Moment.” Teachers took turns leading their colleagues in a brief exercise to help them transition from the frenetic pace of the school day into our time together as colleagues and adult learners.
Over time, many teachers began to cultivate a mindfulness practice of their own. One teacher opted to engage her fourth-grade students in a project to design and build a labyrinth at the school. This remains a lasting place where students and staff can pause to walk mindfully on the campus.
We also offered opportunities for parents/guardians and families to come to campus to learn about and practice mindfulness. Through parent/guardian education evenings and family “Be Kind to Your Mind” events, we equipped families to utilize the same strategies at home that students were learning in school.
Even though our explicit, school-wide focus on mindfulness waned over the years, these practices remain embedded in our culture. Teachers and students have continued to utilize mindfulness strategies during trying times in their personal lives, as well as when larger, more systemic challenges have surfaced.
Mindfulness Through the Lens of a Systems Thinker
As described above, at our school, we recognized that mindfulness could be a powerful tool to foster students’ self-regulation. What we didn’t fully anticipate was the ripple effect and the unintended benefit for the adults in our system.
As our mindfulness practices became embedded into the fabric of our school, I began to notice patterns that extended beyond individual strategies or isolated successes. The shifts we were seeing, in student behavior, staff resilience, and school culture reflected deeper systems at work. It was through this lens that I recognized clear connections to the Habits of a Systems Thinker, which helped us more fully describe and sustain the changes we were cultivating.
As you consider starting or deepening a mindfulness practice in your own context, the following Habits of a Systems Thinker may offer a helpful perspective, especially in today’s challenging climate.
Seeks to Understand THE BIG PICTURE - The public elementary school classroom can be seen as a microcosm of the larger society. We wanted students to have a sense of belonging to their classrooms and to the school, and to have regular opportunities to learn and develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Teaching students how their brains worked, as well as how to self-regulate with various mindfulness strategies, equipped them with tools that would help them be successful in these endeavors.
Recognizes the Impact of TIME DELAYS When Exploring Cause and Effect Relationships - It has been almost ten years since we introduced mindfulness as a school-wide initiative. Some effects were quickly evident. For example, students could be seen choosing to spend a few moments in a mindful corner or selecting from a variety of breathing techniques (often with coaching) when engaged in a conflict with a peer. Other effects were evident after a time delay. For example, graduating high school seniors came back to campus years later and commented on the ongoing usefulness of mindfulness techniques they learned in elementary school, particularly during times of high stress and uncertainty, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONSIDERS Short-Term, Long-Term, and Unintended CONSEQUENCES of Actions - As described above, there were both short-term and long-term positive consequences (effects) of our actions. In addition, unfortunately, there were unintended negative consequences (effects) of our actions. A small number of families took exception to what their children were learning about mindfulness, as they believed it was being used to promote a religion. Most came to understand and support our efforts after individual conversations were held to explain and share more specifics of what we were doing and how we were doing it. However, at least one family chose to leave the school because of our mindfulness initiative.
Consider How MENTAL MODELS Affect Current Reality and the Future - It became evident that differences in some mental models about mindfulness were hindering our efforts to affect change for the entire school community, and we made some modifications because of this. For example, we had a staff member who was skilled at graphic design create a mandala (a geometric figure representing unity, harmony, and interconnectedness) using our school colors and mascot. After much consideration, though mandala designs had become popularized (used in gardens, fashion, pop culture, etc.), we opted to stop using the custom image because of their origin as a Buddhist devotional symbol.
Recognizes That a System’s STRUCTURE GENERATES ITS BEHAVIOR - From the various transition routines that teachers used to the weekly school-wide Mindful Monday exercise on the morning announcements, we built a number of structures that students (and staff) came to rely upon to develop mindfulness habits/practices.
Throughout this journey, mindfulness and systems thinking became steady anchors for our school community—structures we could lean on even as the broader environment shifted around us. As the winds of change in education have only grown stronger, these practices continue to offer a foundation for navigating uncertainty with resilience, clarity, and hope.
A Mounting Challenge
While these habits and practices offered us steady ground within our school, we were not insulated from the broader shifts affecting education across the country. As the years unfolded, external pressures on public education intensified, placing additional strain on the very people these systems rely on most-teachers and school leaders.
Teacher and principal well-being has been a concern for a long time. According to a January 2022 survey by the Rand Corporation, “Teachers and principals reported worse well-being than other working adults.” The following table is from their report:

This mounting pressure is not new, but it has become harder to ignore. While the data above reflects the post-pandemic climate, it does not take into consideration today’s polarized political climate. In early 2025, a series of federal policy changes—including executive orders and shifts in Department of Education priorities—signaled major disruptions for the public education system. These included actions related to curriculum oversight, department structure, and funding requirements. For many educators, these changes added new layers of uncertainty and concern.
How does one who works in public education manage amid such a maelstrom? While these national policy shifts introduced new challenges, they also reinforced the importance of the foundational practices we had already begun, especially mindfulness.
Navigating the Storm, One Step at a Time
In times like these, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or powerless. But amidst the uncertainty, practices like mindfulness and systems thinking offer more than just tools - they offer perspective. They help us pause, re-center, and focus on what we can influence, even when so much feels out of our control.
Take a moment to consider how your understanding of the big picture of public education connects with what happens in your own school, classroom, or home. How can you maintain balance between the big picture and important details? What is in your sphere of influence today? What is not? What is in your sphere of influence over time?
Should you be interested in developing a mindfulness practice of your own, consider the patterns and structures that might support this. Know that developing new habits takes time and that you can anticipate time delays before seeing the results you desire. Are you open to short-term discomfort in exchange for long-term clarity, grounding, or gain?
And if the Habits of a Systems Thinker sparked your curiosity, there’s much more to explore. These habits—and the systems thinking tools that support them—can help you visualize ideas and relationships more clearly and act with greater intention.
If you want to explore how mindfulness and systems thinking might support your own practice or leadership, I’d love to be a part of that journey. Through Kimbo Coaching and Consulting, I offer coaching, consulting services, and capacity-building opportunities that help teams and individuals navigate complexity with greater clarity, calm, and connection.
No matter the weather around us, we can choose to lead from a place of steadiness within.
Today’s education challenges are more complex and dynamic than ever before, requiring education leaders and changemakers to rethink and reframe how they develop solutions. Systems thinking enables leaders to move beyond surface-level solutions to help drive deep change. However, change is not only the result of intentional actions. It is constantly unfolding all around us in ways that are far beyond our control. By adding a futures orientation to systems thinking, leaders can account for an ever-evolving external environment as they determine how to shift their systems in intentional ways.
Inbound and Outbound Change
The field of strategic foresight – a professional discipline that looks to the future to inform action today – describes two types of change, inbound and outbound. In Teaching about the Future, futurists Peter Bishop and Andy Hines (2012) describe inbound and outbound change as follows.
“Change comes from two sources – the world and us. Change from the world is Inbound because it comes at us. Change we produce ourselves is Outbound because it emanates from our actions into the world.”
Clearly, the boundaries are not absolute. Individuals and groups make choices that then have broad ripple effects, and large-scale social, economic and demographic shifts influence people’s decisions. However, treating inbound and outbound change as distinct categories can help changemakers balance their own sense of power and agency with many factors beyond their locus of control.
Leaders often base decisions on how a system behaves today without considering how inbound change might affect those plans over time. They tend to focus on present reality, past system behaviors and the outbound changes needed to shift current reality but overlook the inevitable inbound change that will most certainly shape the future. New realities, growing trends and unexpected disruptions all have the potential to introduce new opportunities, diminish the effectiveness of chosen actions or alter the depth of an action’s influence on the underlying system.
While the future will always remain uncertain, organizations can remain adaptable as conditions evolve if they examine and challenge assumptions about the future as part of their systems thinking practice.
Applying a Futures Orientation to a Systems Problem
In 2020, KnowledgeWorks published The Education Changemakers’ Guidebook to Systems Thinking, a resource designed to help educators, policymakers and communities apply systems thinking to create more student-centered learning environments. This publication is part of the organization’s broader thought leadership on education transformation, providing a structured approach meant to help leaders and education audiences understand challenges, identify leverage points and shape the future of learning.
The guidebook outlines three essential steps for effectively applying systems thinking in an education setting:
- Framing the Focus of a Systems Problem: Examining diverse perspectives within a system and defining the behaviors that we want to change
- Visualizing the Structure of a Systems Problem: Using systems thinking tools to visually depict system behaviors and create shared understanding about them and their interconnectedness
- Looking for Leverage to Create Change: Recognizing that all actions are not created equal and identifying high-impact actions, or leverage points, that might fundamentally shift the way a system works
From there, leaders can explore inbound change on the horizon and consider how they might want or need to adjust their plans.
Using Inbound Change to Check or Identify Leverage Points
Consider the very real issue of staffing shortages in schools. This is one of five key areas that are shaping how education operates today and will determine what unfolds for education systems and learners in the future.
Imagine that you are working on a staffing shortage problem in a school district. The shortage seems to be, at least in part, caused by teacher burnout. After framing the specific nature of the problem with a range of people who are part of the system – young people, families, educators, board members, counselors – and considering the many variables at work, you decide to request a new school counselor position. You believe that this position will both support student well-being and take pressure off teachers who are struggling to balance instructional workloads with students’ increasing social and emotional needs.
This robust process is necessary. But, from a futures-thinking perspective, it is not entirely sufficient. The next step would be to consider how broader shifts in society might demand that the school district think beyond this immediate solution to consider the evolving external factors that might influence its impact. The questions below illustrate some inbound changes that could influence how district leaders might decide to address their challenge.
How might the effects of accelerating technologies and climate change shift the timing, structure and delivery of learning?
How might increasing civic polarization affect the ways schools and districts approach students’ social and emotional well-being?
How might a changing economy affect both public and private funding for education?
How might shifting beliefs about the purpose of education, influenced by economic and social changes, change people’s expectations and priorities for the educational workforce?
These emerging shifts could reshape the staffing challenge in unexpected ways. They invite leaders to consider alternative approaches or possibilities such as those reflected in the questions below.
Will a traditional counselor role remain the most effective solution? Or could a newly imagined position better address the evolving needs of both educators and students?
What priorities for different constituent groups, such as parents or school board members, and possible political dynamics might emerge? How might those relationships and priorities change over time?
How might possible funding realities impact the feasibility of this decision? What types of circumstances would make the decision to hire a new role sustainable – or not?
What shifts in mental models might be necessary to ensure that the solution remained relevant as beliefs and circumstances shifted over time?
These questions do not have right and wrong answers. They may even highlight how much uncertainty about the future remains, underscoring the need for continued discussion and monitoring of the external environment. While seeking the new counselor position might still prove to be the best action for the school district to take at this time, having conversations about the changing landscape in which the system operates will surface new possibilities, including potential challenges and emerging opportunities, that could be worth watching.
The interconnected nature of systems means that there is no perfect answer and that every choice will have both intended and unintended consequences. Bringing systems thinking into the decision-making process provides a framework for navigating complexity. Adding long-term foresight to near-term decision-making processes can help education leaders take more informed and enduring action.
Systems Thinking Habits That Promote Futures Thinking
Systems thinking and futures thinking strengthen each other. Thinking about systems enables leaders to consider future possibilities with more rigor and depth. Considering future possibilities raises important questions about how systems behave and why and how they might change. The following Habits of a Systems Thinker are also habits of a futures thinker when approached and applied in certain ways. Considering the future-oriented dimensions of these habits can support and deepen both leaders’ systems thinking and their emerging futures thinking practices.
Seeks to understand the big picture: In systems thinking, seeing the big picture is about acknowledging the breadth and interconnection among today’s existing systems. In futures thinking, the big picture is about extending the time horizon and the long-term implications of today’s decisions.
Observes how elements within the system change over time: Systems thinkers look at how patterns of system behaviors have changed over time. Futures thinkers consider different patterns that might emerge and how system behavior could change in the future
Considers an issue fully and resists the urge to come to a quick conclusion: A system is never fully knowable because everyone within it sees things differently. That’s why visual tools in systems thinking are so valuable – they help create a shared understanding. The future is also uncertain, but instead of seeing that as a problem to solve, futures thinking encourages leaders to embrace uncertainty and consider all possibilities, which equips them to be ready for change and discover new opportunities.
Surfaces and tests assumptions: Understanding a system requires making assumptions because its components will never be fully transparent. Similarly, there are no facts about the future – only assumptions and possibilities. Bringing these assumptions to light from people involved in the system – how the system works, what they expect to happen and what they want to happen – can lead to powerful conversations about shaping change.
Systems thinkers are already well-primed to be futures thinkers. They are already deeply considering their own actions and how they might create meaningful outbound change. Considering inbound change and infusing a future orientation to well-established systems thinking habits can ensure that education leaders are prepared to lead through uncertainty and volatility and transform their systems in ways that create a better future for the people they serve.
Works Cited
Bishop, P. C., & Hines, A. (2012). Teaching about the future. Palgrave Macmillan.
KnowledgeWorks. (2020). The education changemakers’ guidebook to systems thinking. https://knowledgeworks.org/resources/education-changemakers-guidebook-systems-thinking/
"I understand systems thinking concepts, but how can I apply them to real life?"
Recently, a friend and former colleague asked me this question. To me, this person is a natural systems thinker, and I’ve seen them apply it with seemingly little effort in their work. However, as systems thinking has become a more central focus in their organization and their whole team has undergone systems thinking training, my friend expressed feeling stuck. They told me, “I love the ideas and the tools, but it isn’t always realistic to do a facilitation or map something. I want it to be an embedded part of our work, not something separate or occasional.”
We often encounter questions like these in our work at the Waters Center. And from our experience providing capacity-building, consulting, and coaching services across various industries, moving from understanding to consistent action is a common challenge. Systems thinking isn’t just about learning concepts—it’s about making it a natural part of how we think, work, and make decisions every day. It's about making it a habit.
And habits are something we are known for at the Waters Center, specifically the Habits of a Systems Thinker. The 14 Habits of a Systems Thinker help individuals understand how systems function and how actions influence outcomes over time. "The Habits" serve as guiding principles that encourage thoughtful questioning and provide a practical framework for applying systems thinking in real-world contexts. By practicing the Habits, systems thinking becomes less of an occasional practice and more of a natural way of engaging with the world.
At first, my friend thought they needed more tools—but what they really needed was a shift in mindset. And that’s where the Habits come in.
The Habits of a Systems Thinker
The first version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker were developed in 2006, building on over 15 years of systems thinking work in early childhood and K–12 education. Inspired by Art Costa and Bena Kallick’s Habits of Mind and shaped by collaboration with renowned systems thinkers like Linda Booth Sweeney, Donella Meadows, George Richardson, Barry Richmond, and Peter Senge, the Habits were designed to make systems thinking practical and accessible. Nearly 20 years later, they have found their way into classrooms, boardrooms, and organizations worldwide, helping people integrate systems thinking into their daily work and decision-making.
Each Habit represents a different way of seeing and engaging with the world. Some help us zoom out and get a more complete view, like "Seeks to Understand the Big Picture”, while others encourage us to pause and better understand the meaning we add, like “Surfaces and Tests Assumptions”. Some push us to consider potential ripple effects, like “Considers Short-Term, Long-Term, and Unintended Consequences of Actions,” while others help us find potential opportunities for meaningful change, like “Uses Understanding of System Structure to Identify Possible Leverage Actions.”
To help practice the Habits, each card has an illustration—like the relatable image of balancing a desire for a treat and the long-term dental implications on the “Recognizes the Impact of Time Delays When Exploring Cause-and-Effect Relationships” card. The cards also offer guiding questions on the back, inspired by real-world experiences across education, leadership, and organizational development. These questions prompt deeper reflection, helping users recognize when they are engaging in systems thinking and guiding them toward meaningful application in their unique contexts.
Making the Habits, Habits: Science-Backed Strategies
Now that we understand the power of habits, how do we actually make systems thinking second nature? The good news is that small, intentional shifts can create a significant impact over time.
Like other habits, behavioral science gives us useful clues about how we can make systems thinking part of how we move through the world. Research in neuroscience, such as Nicole Vignola’s Rewire (2024), highlights how intentional, repeated actions strengthen neural pathways, making new habits more automatic over time. The same principles apply to systems thinking—by deliberately engaging with the Habits of a Systems Thinker, we can rewire our brains to naturally approach problems through a systems lens.
Here are a few practical strategies to start building the Habits of a Systems Thinker into your daily life.
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Start small and build momentum. We don’t have to overhaul the way we think all at once. When I’m coaching or working with clients on bringing the Habits into their daily practice, I ask, “What’s one Habit that already feels natural to you?” Starting from a place of familiarity makes it easier to build confidence and create meaningful change.
For example, if “Making Meaningful Connections Within and Between Systems” is already part of your thinking, you might naturally recognize relationships between different departments in your organization or see parallels between challenges in your field and broader societal patterns. To deepen this Habit, you could start mapping out those connections visually, engaging colleagues in discussions about cross-disciplinary links, or intentionally seeking out diverse industries or communities to compare how similar issues are addressed in different contexts.
Stack the Habits onto what you already do. One of the simplest ways to build a new habit is to anchor it to something you're already doing. Like drinking a glass of water after brushing your teeth to meet your hydration goals. BJ Fogg’s research (Tiny Habits, 2019) highlights this as habit stacking, a strategy where new behaviors are paired with existing routines, making them feel effortless over time. By linking systems thinking to daily actions, we make it a natural part of how we approach challenges and decisions.
For example, if you already have a journaling practice, you can incorporate systems thinking by adding a reflection question about how you applied a Habit that day. If your team meetings have a regular check-in question, you could use one from the back of a Habit card or craft a new question that encourages systems thinking in your discussions. By embedding the Habits into routines you already follow, systems thinking becomes a seamless part of how you work and think.
Create reminders and visual cues. Ever notice how setting your vitamins out reminds you to take them? Or how keeping a notepad nearby encourages you to jot down ideas as they come? These small environmental cues shape our behavior, often without us realizing it. That’s because visual cues prime our brains for action (Clear, 2018). The same principle applies to systems thinking—by making the Habits visible, they stay top of mind and become easier to integrate into daily routines.
Clear outlines the four laws of behavior change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. One way to make systems thinking habits more visible is by taping the Habits on the wall or designating a "Habit of the Week" and keeping that card with you or in a place you see often. You can also get creative—objects, images, or quotes can serve as reminders of key systems thinking principles. For example, placing a slinky on your desk can symbolize “Recognizing that a System’s Structure Generates Its Behavior.” Similarly, setting a rotating systems thinking quote on your phone’s lock screen can keep these ideas top of mind throughout the day.
Reflect and learn in real-time. Tracking progress and self-reflection can create a feedback loop that increases motivation and consistency (Clear, 2018). Research in cognitive science also suggests that reflection strengthens neural pathways by consolidating experiences, improving problem-solving, and fostering adaptability (Vignola, 2024). Reflection can take different forms, from structured practices like journaling to real-time moments of intentionality.
For example, after reading an email or text that may be activating, pause to "Surface and Test Assumptions" before responding and identify follow-up questions you could ask to get a more complete understanding. Beyond individual reflection, engaging in collaborative reflection can further deepen systems thinking. This could mean leveraging coaching sessions, creating a learning team at work to share insights, or partnering with an accountability buddy to exchange voice notes or messages about your reflections.
Practice in community. Bring others along on your systems thinking journey! Research from Tiny Habits (Fogg, 2019) emphasizes that behaviors are more likely to become habits when they are practiced in a supportive environment. Social reinforcement, accountability, and shared experiences make habit formation more sustainable. By embedding systems thinking into team discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and everyday interactions, individuals can reinforce their learning and deepen their application of the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
Making the Habits stick isn’t about adding extra work—it’s about rewiring the way we approach challenges and opportunities (Clear, 2018).
Your Systems Thinking Habit Challenge
Systems thinking becomes second nature through small, intentional shifts. It’s not about adding more to your plate—it’s about adjusting how you engage with challenges and decisions. By embedding systems thinking into everyday actions, building habits purposefully, and creating space for reflection, it transforms from an abstract concept into a practical, intuitive way of navigating complexity.
This week, choose one Habit of a Systems Thinker and commit to practicing it daily. Keep it visible, talk about it, and reflect on how it shifts your thinking. Maybe you start by asking one new systems thinking question in a meeting, or by pausing before making a decision to consider its long-term impact. Small steps, practiced consistently, lead to powerful change.
By embedding these Habits into our work and lives, we build the systems thinking capacity needed to make more thoughtful decisions and create lasting impact.
Which Habit will you focus on first?
Works Cited
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.
Fogg, B. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Vignola, N. (2024). Rewire: The Neuroscience of Changing Your Behavior and Achieving Your Goals. HarperCollins.
As the new year begins, many of us reflect on the changes we want to make and set ambitious resolutions, vowing to stick to them. Yet, despite our best intentions, these resolutions often fade as excitement wanes and life settles back into routine.
Why do so many resolutions fail? The answer lies in underestimating the complexity of real change.
Our brains are wired to simplify, seeking patterns and making assumptions to navigate the world. This tendency often leads us to view ourselves in overly simplistic terms, ignoring the many interconnected factors influencing our goals. For example, losing weight isn’t just about eating less and exercising more—it involves reshaping habits, creating supportive structures, and addressing underlying factors like health conditions or lifestyle constraints.
This is where systems thinking becomes a powerful tool for transformation. By acknowledging the complexity of the systems we operate within—whether personal or global—we can create more realistic and effective plans for change.
As you set your New Year’s goals, it’s the perfect opportunity to embrace systems thinking. Let’s explore one of the most common resolutions—getting in shape—as an example of how a systems perspective can make your goals more actionable, nuanced, and likely to succeed, setting you up to thrive in 2025!
Setting “The Gap”
As an executive and leadership coach, I always start by asking my clients two foundational questions:
Where are you now?
Where do you want to be?
Though simple, these questions spark meaningful conversations about the client’s current reality and their desired future. This process sets what I call “the gap”—the space between where they are and where they want to go. Once the gap is clear, we can craft a plan to bridge it.
As you think about your goals for the new year, start by assessing where you are now. For example, if your goal is to get in shape, take stock of your current physical health and fitness.
A useful way to explore any system, including yourself, is through the iceberg model. This model helps you consider not only the visible aspects of a system but also the hidden dynamics beneath the surface. In this way, you can begin to see yourself as a system with layers of complexity.
The Waters Center offers a helpful template for this approach, using the “gap” mindset to map out changes. The current state of the system is placed on the left side of the iceberg, and the desired state on the right. This visualization will be a powerful tool for shaping and exploring your goals as we dive into the process of thriving in the new year!
Download this tool to use as you work through this goal setting exercise.
Let’s start with what’s visible in the system—the ice above the surface in our iceberg model. Focusing on the visible aspects helps bring clarity and specificity to your goals, increasing the likelihood of their success.
Using the example of getting in shape, it’s important to define what “getting in shape” means to you and how you’ll know when you’ve achieved it. Does it involve accomplishing a physical feat, like running a 5K without stopping? Experiencing a physical change, like losing 10 pounds? Or perhaps being disease-free, with all your bloodwork in normal ranges? Getting clear on your desired outcome—and identifying the evidence that will show you’ve reached it—is a powerful first step.
I often encourage starting with the desired state, but you can also begin with your current reality. If your goal is to get in shape, assess your current fitness level. What is your “shape” right now? The more specific your evidence for where you are today, the easier it will be to track your progress and measure success as you move toward your goal.
This process helps you define your “gap” by concretely mapping where you are now and where you want to be by year’s end.
Here are some key questions to ask yourself about the visible aspects of your system:
Current (left side of the iceberg template):
What’s the current state of the goal area (i.e. health, leadership, relationships, etc.)?
How do you perceive it, and how is it perceived by others?
What evidence shows where things stand now?
Desired (right side of the iceberg template):
What do you truly want to achieve?
How will you know when you’ve reached your goal?
What visible evidence will confirm the change you seek?
Look Beneath the Surface of the Current State
Once you’ve identified the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, it’s time to create a plan to bridge that gap. Systems thinking tools are invaluable here, as they help you explore the complex forces shaping both your current reality and your desired state. By adopting a systems lens, you can uncover what’s happening now and design a system that supports achieving your goals.
Start by examining the “current” side of the iceberg template to understand the intricate factors contributing to your present circumstances.
Patterns of Behavior
The first layer beneath the surface of the iceberg involves identifying patterns of behavior. These patterns are often unseen but play a significant role in maintaining the current state. Reflect on trends and recurring behaviors that have brought you to where you are today. This process makes these patterns tangible and actionable.
For example, if your goal is to get in shape, consider:
What are my patterns of behavior contributing to my current health status?
What actions am I taking that help or hinder my progress?
Are there broader trends—like lifestyle or environmental factors—impacting my health?
Structures in the System
Next, delve into the structures that influence your patterns of behavior. Structures can include routines, policies, time management strategies, or even external factors like accessibility and resources. This step also involves identifying any missing structures that may be perpetuating the current state.
For instance, with a goal of getting in shape, you might uncover:
A lack of dedicated time for exercise.
Irregular visits to the doctor or barriers to accessing healthcare.
Limited access to fresh, healthy foods due to a long commute to the grocery store.
Inadequate insurance coverage for addressing health challenges.
This layer helps you connect the dots between the structures in your life and the behaviors they produce.
Mental Models
The deepest layer of the iceberg is your mental models—the beliefs, assumptions, and narratives you hold about yourself and your goals. These often-unexamined thoughts can greatly impact your progress. This is my favorite layer to explore, as it often reveals hidden limiting beliefs that might be holding you back.
To uncover your mental models, reflect on your thoughts about:
The visible state of things (the tip of the iceberg).
The behavior patterns you identified.
The structures you explored.
For example, when working toward getting in shape, common mental models might include:
“I don’t have time to work out.”
“I lack the self-control to eat healthy.”
“It’s too hard to change.”
These thoughts can subtly undermine your efforts without you realizing it. If you struggle to identify your mental models, ask a trusted friend or partner what they often hear you say about the topic. Their perspective can offer valuable insights into the beliefs driving your behavior.
Spending time with this layer is critical. Shifting your mental models can unlock new possibilities for action and progress. By working through all three layers—patterns of behavior, structures, and mental models—you’ll gain clarity on what has influenced your life and the status quo. From this insight, you’ll begin to see areas that need to shift to make your goal a reality.
Identifying Leverage Actions for Real Change
With a clear understanding of your current state, you can now focus on envisioning what you want to create in the new year. You’ve already defined your goal and how you’ll measure success, but now it’s time to consider the behaviors, structures, and mental models you’ll need to adopt or strengthen to bring your vision to life.
Patterns of Behavior
Start by examining the patterns of behavior section of your template. Ask yourself:
What actions need to become regular habits to close the gap and achieve your goal?
How can you shift your current patterns to align with your desired future?
Remember, you can’t keep doing what you’ve always done and expect different results. This is your opportunity to identify the new behaviors required to create lasting change.
For example, if your goal is to get in shape, you might need to establish habits like exercising three times a week, meal prepping on Sundays, or prioritizing sleep. Define the specific patterns that will help you reach your goal.
Structures in the System
Next, move to the structures of the system section. Consider what new systems or supports need to be in place to help you achieve your goal. In our example of getting in shape, this could mean:
Building an accountability structure, such as partnering with a friend, hiring a trainer, or consulting a nutritionist.
Scheduling regular doctor visits or creating a meal-planning routine.
Setting up time blocks in your calendar for workouts.
Ask yourself:
What do I need to accomplish my goal?
What structures can support those needs? If time is a key factor, think about how you can structure your schedule to prioritize your goal. If energy is essential, consider structures that help you rest, recharge, and fuel your body effectively.
Mental Models
Finally, dive into the mental models section—the most transformative part of the iceberg. Reflect on the beliefs you’ll need to cultivate to make your goal a reality. For example, if your goal is to get in shape, you might need to believe:
“It’s possible for me to be healthy.”
“My body is capable of change.”
“I am worth investing time and effort in.”
Even if these beliefs feel out of reach right now, write them down. They represent the mindset shifts you’ll work toward. If believing these things is challenging, seek support from a trusted friend, coach, or mentor who can help reinforce these beliefs until they feel more natural to you.
Connecting the Dots
As you complete your iceberg template, you’ll notice small “gaps” emerging between:
Current patterns of behavior and the new ones you want to establish.
Existing structures and the ones you need to create.
Present beliefs and the ones you’re striving to adopt.
These gaps represent the leverage points for meaningful change. However, identifying them is only the first step. Often, closing these gaps requires support, resources, and consistent effort. With your iceberg model as a guide, you now have a roadmap for creating the systems and mindset shifts necessary to achieve your goals—and thrive in the new year.
Pulling in Your Support
Now you should have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and a solid understanding of what it will take to get there. As a final step, write around the outside of your iceberg model all the support and resources you’ll need to close the gap. Consider:
People: Who can support you—friends, mentors, or professionals?
Services: What external support systems, such as trainers, therapists, or coaches, can you engage?
Resources: What tools, knowledge, or skills will you need to acquire to ensure your success?
Take action today by sharing your goals with someone you trust. Send an email or text to a friend and invite them for a virtual or in-person coffee chat. During your conversation, share the insights you’ve gained from this exercise and the goals you’re aiming to achieve this year.
I’d also love to support your journey! Feel free to email me at alison@TheThriveDesigner.com to share your reflections or ask for guidance.
Here’s to a year of growth, learning, and meaningful resolutions that lead to real, positive change in your life. Cheers to thriving in 2025!