It's Not Just You
Why change depends on the conditions we create — not just the effort we exert
Hey there Wayfinders 👋
I have a couple of updates for you this week. The first I’ll share now. The second you’ll find at the end of this post.
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First up, you might have noticed I have changed the name of this newsletter. It’s now Wayfinders (just like you).
When I began writing on Substack I called my musing The Messy Middle, because that’s exactly where I was: in the thick of uncertainty, between old ways and new ideas, questioning the path but still walking it. I was curious and hopeful, but a little bit lost.
That name reflected a year or so of sitting with complexity, of resisting the urge to rush to answers, of learning to see the patterns beneath the problems.
But nothing in life and learning remains the same. Something has shifted. The mess hasn’t disappeared, but through exploration, a direction has emerged.
This year, I feel more focused. More intentional. More grounded in the work of systems change, community leadership, and collective wellbeing.
So The Messy Middle has become Wayfinders.
Wayfinding is ancient. It’s how people crossed oceans, tracked stars, read landscapes, and found meaning in what surrounded them. It’s an act of movement, of trust, of paying attention.
This newsletter remains a space for questions, reflections, and (hopefully) insight, but now it’s embedded in the idea that we’re not just stuck in the middle. We’re finding our way forward. Together.
So… on to this week’s topic: How the situation matters more than the solution when it comes to change or ‘‘Doing is only one part of the story.’
We’re now eight weeks into this series exploring the invisible threads that shape how people and communities change - from systems and patterns to power, relationships and learning.
This week, we’re zooming out again, because sometimes it’s not about what you’re doing when you’re trying to change something - it’s about what you’re doing it within.
Let me explain.
We often treat change like a personal project.
Try harder. Be more resilient. Do more with less - whether that’s you as an individual or an initiative, project or organisation you’re leading.
But systems thinkers ask a different question:
What conditions are going to make this change the likely outcome?
You can plant the healthiest seed in the world, but if the soil is depleted, the sun is too harsh, or there’s no water, it won’t thrive.
It’s not the seed’s fault.
It’s the same in human systems.
People’s choices, behaviours and wellbeing are shaped by the environments they live in, the relationships they’re part of, and the assumptions baked into the structures around them.
Psychologist Kurt Lewin described this in the 1930s via his ‘equation’ (a heuristic really):
It states that behavior (B) is a function of the interaction between the person (P) and their environment (E). This equation emphasises that to understand behaviour we must consider the individual's characteristics and the context in which they are acting. One without the other is not the full story.
The shift from individual resilience to collective wellbeing
When it comes to change and challenge we’re used to hearing that we need to be more adaptable, more positive, more proactive - and yes, agency matters. But we can’t meditate or mindset our way out of a system that makes it hard to flourish.
What if, instead of asking “How can we help people cope or adapt better?” we asked:
What would need to change in the environment so that more people could thrive with less struggle?
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Instead of asking why a student is disengaged, we ask what’s happening in their life, their classroom, or their relationships that’s affecting their capacity to learn.
Instead of coaching a burnt-out employee to “manage their energy,” we ask why the workload, culture, or expectations are draining in the first place.
Instead of launching another campaign to “raise awareness,” we ask what supports or structures are missing that stop existing awareness from turning into action.
In each case, we stop zooming in only on the individual and start looking at the conditions around them.
Because the outcomes we see in workplaces, schools, services, or communities are shaped not just by what people do, but by what they’re responding to.
Creating the right conditions means:
Cultivating relationships where people feel safe enough to speak up.
Building systems that can learn and adapt, not just deliver and defend.
Paying attention to feedback — not as failure, but as guidance.
Making it easier, not harder, for people to access what they need.
Designing with, not just for, those who are most affected
This shift - from fixing people to shaping conditions - is at the heart of systems work.
It’s what turns one-off success stories into sustained impact.
It’s what moves us from short-term fixes to long-term change.
And it’s what makes collective wellbeing possible - not just for those who are already doing okay, but for those who’ve been stuck in the margins for too long.
So this week I have a question for you:
👉 What’s one condition you can help shift, in your team, your community, or your own life, to make flourishing and success more likely for more people?
Maybe it’s a meeting that starts with a real check-in, not just an agenda.
Or a policy tweak that gives people more say in how things get done.
Or a small act of trust - letting someone try, fail, and learn - that signals a bigger shift in culture.
Next week, we’ll look at how systems change isn’t just about what we do, but how we see - and how shifting our perspective can reveal what’s been hiding in plain sight.
Until then, here’s to changing the environment, not just the effort.
Onwards and upwards,
P.S. The other news I promised? Just a little update to my website and services. As my learning, thinking and ideas have evolved over the past twelve months, so has the work that I deliver for clients. It was time my website reflected that, so this is Potential Psychology in 2025 and beyond😊
The Fun Stuff this week:
I’m listening to: Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs Official Playlist (isn’t everyone?)
I’m a 🌟Spark🌟judge for Community Bank Buninyong’s SparkTank Event 2025. We’ll be awarding $50,000 in grants to community organisations pitching their bold, innovative project ideas in front of a live audience.