The Gravity of Old Habits: Why Change Pulls People Back

Every leader has experienced these; a new system is launched, a new strategy is announced, or a new behavior is encouraged, yet after a brief burst of enthusiasm, people drift back to the old way. It feels like pushing uphill, because no matter how clear the benefits of the change are, the weight of past habits pulls people back. This pull is not laziness, it is gravity. 

Change always feels uphill at first because old habits pull us back to comfort. Progress begins when the pull toward growth becomes stronger than the pull of the past.

Habits exist because the brain seeks efficiency. Repeated actions create neural pathways that make behaviors automatic. Once those pathways are established, they feel natural and safe, even when they are no longer effective. Culture works the same way at the group level. Shared routines, rituals, and norms create stability, but they also make change harder. People resist not because they dislike progress, but because their mental and cultural “gravity” keeps tugging them toward the familiar.

When faced with this pull, many leaders double down on communication. They deliver more speeches, send more emails, and push harder on compliance. The logic is simple: if people know change is important, they will let go of the

old. Yet knowledge alone is rarely enough, because habits are not broken by information. They are broken by new forces strong enough to overcome gravity. 

The misuse lies in believing that resistance comes only from opposition. In truth, most people do not actively oppose change. They nod, they agree, and they may even try. But without reinforcement, the pull of the old wins. A new tool is introduced, but old spreadsheets reappear. A new meeting process is agreed, but side conversations return. Leaders often mistake this drift for stubbornness, yet it is simply the natural force of habit. 

How to Break Free from Old Gravity 

If gravity pulls people back, then leaders must create stronger pulls toward the new. This requires three deliberate steps: 

• Make the new easier than the old. People follow the path of least resistance. If the new way feels clumsy while the old way feels smooth, gravity wins. Simplify the new process until it saves time rather than adds burden. 

• Enclosed are the new visible signals. Habits stick when they are reinforced. Leaders need to model the new behavior consistently and make it visible, because people copy what they see, not what they hear. 

• Reward momentum, not perfection. Change does not happen in a straight line. Celebrate early adopters, acknowledge small wins, and show that progress counts more than flawless execution. This keeps energy alive long enough for the new habit to embed. 

Progress becomes sustainable when people see a clear path forward and feel supported along the way. Change grows stronger when leaders guide, simplify, and celebrate every step of movement toward the new.

Change will always face resistance, but resistance is not always defiance. It is gravity pulling people back to the comfort of what they know. Leaders who recognise this truth stop blaming people and start designing stronger pulls. They create clarity, simplify choices, and model consistency. Over time, the new way becomes the normal way, and gravity shifts to support progress rather than block it. 

If you want change to last, do not fight the old with words alone. Build stronger forces for the new, because people will always follow the pull that feels heavier. Make sure that pull is forward, not backward.