For results that last, think about cycles!

Successfully losing weight (and keeping it off) is about lifestyle change, not getting from weight A to weight B.

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions - to lose weight - is only realized by a small percentage of those who try. Setting a goal like “lose 10 pounds” frames weight loss as a linear process, but the actual weight loss experience is about changing habits, which is not a linear process at all. Changing a habit - like eating better or exercising more - requires planning and time, making mistakes, learning and starting over again. It’s not a logical, straight path to success but a repetitive process that unfolds over time, day after day.

Designing good customer experiences (and strengthening brand relationships) requires a cyclical perspective as well.

Thinking about your customer's journey in a linear way prevents your organization from adopting it as a system - a naturally repeating process. Recognizing the journey as a cycle enables you to think about your offerings in a programmatic way, more like adopting a new habit over time, rather than providing a series of linear, one-off events.

Sustainable results - progress that lasts - depends on designing customer experiences that can repeat successfully over and over, delivering incremental value with each cycle.