Change Wired

How obsessing over problems makes us miss solutions: diet, starups, changing the world. Inattentional blindness.

Angela Shurina Season 2025

What happens when we become so fixated on our flaws that we miss the strengths hiding in plain sight? For years, I've watched people struggle with change not because they weren't trying hard enough, but because they were looking in the wrong direction.  

The science of "inattentional blindness" explains why we miss critical solutions when we're hyper-focused on problems.  

Just like participants who fail to spot a gorilla walking across a basketball court because they're busy counting passes, we miss our own strengths and resources when we're fixated on fixing what's broken. This psychological phenomenon creates a self-defeating cycle of demotivation and missed opportunities.  

Through my two decades in coaching, I've discovered that the most powerful transformations happen when we flip the script.  

Rather than obsessing over weaknesses, "awesome-based coaching" leverages what's already working. Drawing from principles developed by Precision Nutrition and my own experience transforming habits, I share practical ways to apply this strength-based approach to everything from health habits to business building.

Whether you're struggling with personal change, leading a team, or trying to transform an entire system, this episode offers a refreshing alternative to the "fix what's broken" mentality that dominates our culture. As it turns out, you don't need more discipline or willpower - you need to recognize and build upon the strengths you already possess.  

Join me in exploring how to create lasting change by focusing not on what's wrong, but on what's possible.  

  

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Brought to you by Angela Shurina

Behavior-First Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant
EXECUTIVE & OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE COACH

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