5 W’s of Change: Navigate Roadblocks, Break Habits

We all know the feeling—getting stuck in the same patterns, hoping something will be different this time. It’s like always taking the same route to work, even though you know there’s a bottleneck where the traffic grinds to a halt. It’s hard to navigate roadblocks. You hate that part of the journey, but you still take the same route, day after day, hoping that maybe today will be different …

It never is.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because our brains are wired for habit and familiarity—even when those patterns don’t serve us. We tell ourselves change is too hard, or that we’ll “figure it out later,” but without a conscious shift, nothing really changes. It’s time to navigate roadblocks that stop you reaching your goals more effectively.

You’ve probably heard this quote:

 “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

It’s often attributed to Einstein, but there’s no record of him actually saying it. Another similar line gets pinned on Henry Ford:

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.”

Again, no real evidence that Ford ever said it. And frankly, he’s not someone I’d want to quote anyway. Ford was a virulent antisemite, using his wealth and influence to spread hateful conspiracy theories—including funding and distributing The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, one of the most infamous antisemitic hoaxes in history. His newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, published deeply racist, anti-Jewish propaganda that even inspired Nazi ideology. Imagine that, an incredibly rich white man using his ownership of the media to spread racist ideology. Sometimes it seems, the more things change the more they stay the same.

But we’re here to talk about you and how you can change your mindset and break bad habits, so let’s leave Henry Ford in the past where he belongs. The idea stands on its own without him.

How to navigate roadblocks and Break Repetitive Patterns with W⁵

I went to a pretty old-fashioned grammar school, back in the day. It wasn’t quite posh, was a bit eccentric, and had a clear focus on academia. My maths teacher was a wonderful mix of eccentric and inspiring. Whenever we solved a simultaneous equation (don’t ask me what one of those is, or what they’re for—that information left my brain a long time ago), he had a phrase he loved to use.

The technical term, he would explain, is QED, but he preferred to say “W to the power of 5,” which stood for “which was what we wanted.”

That phrase has stuck with me all these years, and it occurs to me that it can also help us to navigate change—except in this case, W⁵ stands for:

W¹: What do I truly want?

• Not just what I think I should want, or what others expect, but the real goal.

W²: Why do I want it?

• Motivation is the difference between a passing thought and a real commitment. If the ‘why’ isn’t clear, change won’t stick.

W³: What’s stopping me?

• The habits, beliefs, and invisible rules we follow without questioning. This is where we get stuck.

W⁴: What needs to change?

• Mindset? Actions? Environment? Patterns don’t break themselves.

W⁵: What will I do differently?

• The part that actually matters. Change happens when we stop waiting for different results and start making them.

This method isn’t just about breaking habits—it’s about rewiring your thinking so change becomes natural.

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset (Or Hypnotic Mindset?)

At its core, W⁵ is about breaking out of a fixed mindset and stepping into a growth mindset—a key principle in cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy.

A fixed mindset tells us that things are the way they are: “I’m just bad at this,” “There’s no point trying,” or “That’s just how my brain works.”

A growth mindset challenges that assumption. It asks, “What can I learn from this?” or “What if I approached this differently?” It assumes that change is possible—but only if we’re willing to engage with it.

Interestingly, modern scientific theories on hypnosis for personal growth align closely with this idea.

Gone are the days of hypnosis being seen as a mystical trance. Current research suggests it’s a state of focused attention—what we call the hypnotic mindset. And what is a hypnotic mindset, if not a growth mindset in action?

• In a fixed mindset, we resist change.
• In a growth mindset, we open up to it.
• In a hypnotic mindset, we focus on it completely, engaging deeply with new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

Hypnosis isn’t magic—it’s an evidence-based method to change habits and rewire limiting beliefs. In a hypnotic state, your brain becomes more receptive to new ways of thinking, making it easier to replace old patterns with the helpful ones you’ve chosen to help you get closer to your goals.

If you’ve ever struggled to break a habit or change your mindset, hypnosis can help you bypass mental resistance and create meaningful, lasting change.

The Habit Trap: Why We Keep Doing the Same Thing

We repeat behaviours not because they work, but because they’re familiar. Our minds are fixed on doing things the same way. Even when something isn’t helping us, it still feels safer than the unknown.

This is why change often feels uncomfortable—it’s not because it’s impossible, but because our brains are wired to default to what’s known. The key to lasting change isn’t forcing yourself to “be better”—it’s about recognising the automatic responses, rewiring them, and making different choices.

And sometimes, that starts with something as simple as asking the right questions.

Want to Change? Take a Different Path.

So, whether it was Einstein, Ford (ugh), or some anonymous wisdom floating through history, the message stands:

If you want a different outcome, you have to take a different path.

So if you always hit a traffic jam on your way to work, why not try a different route? You might not arrive any sooner, but at least the journey could be less frustrating.

But here’s something important to recognise: you’ve already taken the first step.

I have created a worksheet that gives you a space to write down and explore your own W⁵—it’s available on the resources page. While you’re at it, why not sign up for my newsletter and download a free relaxation recording, which can give you a taste of the power of hypnosis to bring about profound change in your life.

Want to explore this further? Book a free consultation and together we can start changing the way you think today.