Transformation Through Pattern Interrupts: Anchoring in the Power of Place
“The real magic happens when we’re able to leave the context that we’re familiar with.”
– Tony Cox
We become so acclimated to our daily routine that we could almost do it with our eyes closed. We too become so familiar with the environments we inhabit – our workplace, our homes, our gym, our regular restaurants – that we could probably drive to them with our eyes closed, too.
The actions that we take on a regular basis, and the places that we inhabit on a regular basis, are examples of our personal patterns. While familiarity often breeds a sense of stability in our lives, have you ever questioned if your life could become more fruitful – not by repeating more of what you always do – but by intentionally breaking your typical pattern?
The concept of a ‘pattern interrupt’ was developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, noted as a phenomenon where a habitual thought, behaviour, or emotional pattern is broken. When pattern interrupts occur, however, there is not a break – there is an opening for change. As Thrive: Enabling Potential CEO Terry Dubroy says, to interrupt our patterns is, “To make something extraordinary from the ordinary. It can't be more of the same.” If transformation is your goal as a leader or self-starter, then pattern interrupts are your pathway.
Let’s explore how stepping out of our comfort zones and away from our typical environment opens space for leadership development and personal growth.
Earlier, I said that if transformation is your goal, pattern interrupts are your pathway. And the understory of this pathway is a phenomenon known as the power of place.
Thrive: Enabling Potential CEO Terry Dubroy describes the power of place as being environmental surroundings and supports that elicit feelings of connection, empowerment, authenticity, and resiliency. In order to understand how the power of place affects transformation, we can examine the converse – how a lack of intentional design in the places we inhabit can lead to inner and outer stagnation.
Think of what it’s like to be confined in an office space from 9-5, Monday to Friday, in a job where even team meetings and restructuring events occur in the very same space. The same harsh fluorescent lights, blank brick walls, and drone of printers and coffee machines hem you in; the same old tedium as any other day persists.
Is it likely that you or anyone else will walk away from this team meeting having undergone any form of transformation? Or, is it more likely that the same old patterns will continue to repeat themselves in your office space?
In contrast, picture yourself embraced by the mountainside with your team, your eyes dazzled by the vibrant landscape of wildlife and trees. Leaders – not from your business, but from an outside source – are here to take you through a day that will challenge your comfort zone, all the while giving you a break from your typical context and opening your eyes to the wonders of the natural world. Later on, you and your team immerse yourselves in the culture of this new locale, exploring and getting to know each other’s perspectives on a deeper level.
This context shift illustrated the power of place. Not only is nature the prime ingredient for this power, but it is also, as Terry Dubroy describes it, an equalizer for all people.
Our environments not only include physical objects, but also intangible dynamics. A growing body of research demonstrates the emotional strain and lack of psychological safety that employees further ‘down the hierarchy’ of an organization can feel when it comes to approaching and collaborating with their supervisors.
But nature levels the playing field. The setting shifts, and team dynamics heal. Titles no longer matter, and truly connecting on a more human level comes to the forefront.
Sometimes, we simply can’t afford the time or money to go all in for a nature retreat. But there are little things that you can still consider managing in your environment with some concentrated effort. Consider Terry’s recommendation, from “Transformations Through Nature: Insights From Outdoor Leadership with Tony Cox“ on the Thriving Perspectives podcast, for making a small pattern shift in your everyday environment:
“Interrupting your patterning could be as simple as leaving your cell phone behind, or beginning to learn the art of leaving the negativity or challenges that are going on in your life behind at the door.
From there, you can move forward into a place of better learning and acceptance. Not just acceptance of yourself, but also of other people.”
Studies indicate that when our phones are out of sight, they are out of mind. And when our phones are out of sight, our attention rewires itself onto the connections and work that truly matters, allowing us to lead by example even in the most suffocating of spaces.
Transformation doesn't always require a grand escape – sometimes, it begins with small, intentional shifts in how we engage with our environment. By disrupting our routines and anchoring ourselves in spaces that foster authenticity and connection, we create openings for growth and deeper self-awareness. Whether it's through nature, design, or mindful disengagement from distraction, the power of place can be a quiet but profound spark for change.
Journalling Prompts for Interrupting Patterns & Anchoring in the Power of Place
If you are a CEO, leader, personal development expert or likewise, reading this post, how can you set a long-term goal to immerse your team in the power of place? Have a vision that you’d like to see brought to life? Check out Thrive’s Curated Experiences page to co-create your dream workshop or retreat:
Reflect on a place where you feel most grounded, authentic, or inspired; what elements of that environment contribute to these feelings?
How can you bring aspects of the place where you feel most grounded, authentic, or inspired, into your day-to-day environment (workplace, desk, etc?).
