The Struggling Moment

Bob Moesta, co-creator of the Jobs to Be Done framework, has a core insight: people don't change randomly. They change because of struggling moments.

'All of this starts with a struggling moment, not with a product. Struggling moments and opportunities all exist before there's a solution.'

He uses the analogy of forces: there are pushes (what's driving someone to change), pulls (what's attracting them to something new), anxieties (fears about the new thing), and habits (the comfort of the familiar).

Change only happens when the pushes and pulls outweigh the anxieties and habits.

This is how children develop.

Every tantrum, every regression, every frustrating phase - it's a struggling moment. They're feeling pushes (something isn't working anymore) and pulls (they want to be more capable) but also anxieties (what if I fail?) and habits (this is what I know).

Moesta says: 'If there's no push, they can't even see the solution because we're creatures of habit.'

Your job isn't to eliminate the struggle. It's to help them navigate it. Reduce the anxiety. Acknowledge the loss of the familiar. And make the new way feel safe enough to try.