It is quite possible to have goals on different levels of awareness, and for these goals to be pointing in opposing directions. Any given behavior might then move me towards a goal on one level, but away from a goal (sabotage me) on another. The net result of this dissonance is usually that there is little if any real movement - much like it’s virtually impossible to exert any force when both your bicep and (opposing) tricep muscles are tensed.   But there are indeed advantages to this immobilization – for one it protects us from stepping outside of our existing comfort zones, and all the fears that might go with that. Emma is a 36 year old single woman with a history of emotional eating, yo-yo dieting, and of starting exercise programmes which she typically adheres to for no longer than a few weeks. Every year she makes similar new year’s resolutions and each time ‘really means them’ . Unfortunately she is not aided in this by a habitual internal dialogue around being ‘hopeless’ and ‘unable to stick to anything’. She also has a generally negative self image and feels socially quite insecure. It has taken Emma some time to realize that her cyclical behavior and thinking patterns have become a comfort zone. Her weight is functioning both as a literal and a figurative barrier to doing the things which would help her become healthier and happier. For one, it provides ‘justification’ for not going out, and this increasing social withdrawal in turn enables her to avoid taking emotional risks. Consequently she sits at home most evenings coping with her loneliness through eating. Her goal of losing weight on one level is being thwarted by the goal of staying ‘comfortable’ on a deeper level. It is little surprise that over the years the net result has been one of no change. Generally, people not only struggle to identify these deeper motives, but also won’t easily acknowledge them. In fact if anyone dared even hint at their existence, the person concerned would probably feel quite affronted. The point is this, there are pros and cons to everything, including to NOT changing. So if you are planning to indeed make some changes, it is very important to also identify and acknowledge right up front, the advantages to NOT changing. Doing so enables you to ultimately make more honest decisions, and more effective commitments.