What can we learn from The Fighter about behaviour change..?

You know the plot, its the same for loads of movies. Loser decides to turn his life around and has one last shot at the title. 

I was in Armley prison a few weeks ago and one of the things that stuck with me was at the average age of 'turnaround point' was 33 years old. Third sector organisation like CounterPoint do a lot of work at these pivot points. I'd also argue that things like Big Lottery Fund's PeoplePowerChange are essentially aiming at helping people reach their pivot points.

So what can we learn from The Fighter (or The Wrestler, or Rocky, or Raging Bull, or....) about behaviour change..?


Well........... It's completely at odds with our current model of social change. We currently have a system that pays professional intermediaries to look after other people. Maybe i'm being harsh but we encourage people to admit they can't cope (and therefore  need help), and we incentivise the professionals to maintain some level of need. And when the turnaround for the individual happens? Who takes the credit for this turnaround? Not the individual, but the project.

But in the films, the individual makes the change by...

    * A sudden switch on moment
    * Reaching rock bottom
    * Going against his family and friends
    * Getting a new girlfriend
    * Having someone to do it for (normally a kid)
    * Finding the one thing they're good at
    * Having a shot at the title.
    * Losing at least once on route
    * The individual has to lead the change.


So instead of worrying about the process (in which we can only ever support the individual to make the change) maybe we should worry more about the end. How about concentrating our efforts on jobs and housing for people leaving prison..?