Does Change Have to Be So Hard: Eight Mindset Strategies to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Take Control of Your Life

Making Lasting Change Can Be Hard or Easy

If you’ve ever tried to change and failed, you’re not alone. Whether it’s breaking a habit, healing from loss, or starting over, change often feels overwhelming, frustrating, and even defeating. You want to move forward, but something keeps pulling you back.

In Does Change Have to Be So Hard, Dr. Julie Donley—a nurse, coach, and survivor of major life upheavals—shows that it’s not the change itself that’s hard, but the hidden barriers we bring to it: Habits, Attachments, Resistance, and Discouragement. Through personal stories and hard-won wisdom, Donley helps you recognize and dismantle these blocks so change becomes not only possible—but empowering.

Described by reviewers as “a roadmap” and “a comforting, motivating guide,” this book offers eight simple yet profound strategies to shift your mindset, strengthen your commitment, and follow through with clarity and confidence. You’ll learn how to align your thoughts with your desires and approach change as a journey, not a struggle.

Whether you're stuck in a cycle or standing at the edge of something new, Does Change Have to Be So Hard will meet you where you are—and help you take the next step forward so that change becomes easy.