Motivation Information |
Habit Change--Six Steps to Success
As every New Year approaches, many of us are doing the usual?thinking, "This year will be different. I'm going to change?(fill in the blanks)?my work habits, my attitudes. I'll lose those pounds; I'll make that difficult choice that's long overdue." We re-make these resolutions throughout the year. But will really follow through until the goals are accomplished? Or will this new "determination" be like the others?lots of good intentions, plenty of wishes, but basically, life goes on as usual? Research on personal change (Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente; "Changing for Good") has demonstrated that successful change comes in six well-defined stages. Perhaps the failure to recognize these stages has been responsible for your past frustrations and failures in following through on self improvements. You see, each of these stages has a series of tasks that must be completed before you can progress to the next. You set yourself up for failure when you either try to accomplish changes you aren't ready for or when you stay so long on tasks you've mastered (such as understanding your problem) that you become stuck indefinitely. Think about your past experiences as you read what happens in these six stages. STAGE 1: PRECONTEMPLATION When you're at this stage, you aren't even admitting you have a problem. We've all seen unhealthy denial in others. We often have trouble seeing it in ourselves. Writer G.K. Chesterton said, "It isn't that they can't see the solution. It's that they can't see the problem." Precontemplators don't want to change themselves. They think others are to blame for their difficulties. Likely, others are experiencing the precontemplator's problem and may be applying pressure for him or her to change. The responses?denial and resistance. Are you in this stage? Chances are, you are with at least one of the destructive and self-defeating behaviors you need to change. STAGE 2: CONTEMPLATIONWhen you move to the Contemplation stage, you acknowledge you have a problem, and you want to get unstuck. You begin to think seriously about solving your problem. You try to understand its causes, and you begin to investigate your options. At this point you have indefinite plans to take action within the next few months. However, you can stay stuck in this stage for months or years. (Is this where you are now?) You know you need to change, and you intend to?someday?just as soon as?after?when the rush is over (when would that be?). You know your desire and your destination, but you're not quite ready to go. Fear of failure can keep you searching for an easier, more dramatic, or more complete solution to your problem. The irony is, failure is guaranteed if you don't move on to the next stage. STAGE 3: PREPARATION"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." You greatly reduce your success probability if you suddenly wake up one morning, say "This is the day," and dive headfirst into a change without realistically and specifically planning how you will make the change happen. At Stage 3, you develop a detailed plan of action and you may announce your intentions publicly. Your awareness is high, and you may have already begun small behavioral changes. Before moving ahead, however, you need to know exactly how you will keep your awareness and commitment high throughout the struggles of the next stages. STAGE 4: ACTIONThis stage is the one that requires the most commitment and energy. It's where you actually DO IT! You receive the most recognition and support during this stage, because others can see that you're working at it. You follow the plan you've made in Stage 3, make revisions as necessary, and "keep on keeping on" even when it's inconvenient or difficult. Here's a caution: Action doesn't necessarily mean that lasting change has been made. It's an essential part of the process, but the failure to do what's necessary in the next stage, Maintenance, can sabotage the progress you've made so far. STAGE 5: MAINTENANCEThe maintenance stage is a long, ongoing process. From my experience, it's the most difficult. (How many times have I dieted, for example, only to gain the weight back?) The Action stage must be followed by constant vigilance and a systematic plan for dealing with those temptations that can draw you back into the old, destructive pattern. It's hard work to consolidate the gains you've made during the first four stages and to prevent relapse. Celebrate achieving your goals, but don't relax and tell yourself, "Whew! I'm glad that's over!" Develop a menu of mental and behavioral coping strategies that will take you through the times when your feet begin to slip. (More on that in the next article.) STAGE 6: TERMINATIONThere is lively debate about whether this stage is possible when the behavior you've changed is an addictive habit. The ideal would be that you no longer feel tempted, and the habit is absolutely not a problem for you. Some say, however, that you must always maintain a life of vigilance. I tend to agree. Some can progress to the point that they are not constantly tempted, nor do they think about it every day. However, I believe that once you've had a deeply ingrained habit or addiction, you are always more vulnerable than if you'd never had it. Keep a level of awareness, especially in times of stress. Studies show that in times of stress or conflict, people are most likely to slip. NOT A LINEAR PROGRESSION Wouldn't it be nice if we smoothly progressed from one stage to the next? It's possible, but not probable. Most people have episodes of backsliding into Contemplation or even Precontemplation before trying again. In fact, studies show that New Year's resolutions are made, on average, five times before the changer moves all the way to Maintenance! (That's average. You don't have to do it that many times if you know how to move more effectively through these six stages.) Don't give up! If you have a setback, don't stay there. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again?this time with a revised and better plan. Dr. Bev Smallwood is a psychologist who has worked with organizations across the globe for over 20 years. Her high-energy, high-content, high-involvement Magnetic Workplaces (r) programs provide dozens of practical strategies and skills that can be put to work immediately to: Review a complete list of her programs available for your convention or corporate meeting at the website, www.MagneticWorkplaces.com.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Change - The Skill Of Adapting To The Inevitable Change your thoughts and you change your world.-Norman Vincent PealeNot surprising, one of the core reasons that hinder us from the realization our innermost goals and desires is our inability to be flexible. Anchors Away! If we want to fill our heads with the doom and gloom society seems to thrive on, all we need to do is turn on the local news at night. To make that quantum leap toward personal happiness and success in life, sometimes we just need to do what so many people seem to be talking about lately: "clean house" and take personal inventory of the people we associate with most. Curing the Blues - 14 Feel-Good Ways to Get Out of the Dumps Everyone goes through that "in the blues" feeling once in awhile. The best cure is to be around people that you care about; family, friends; and keeping yourself busy enough to change your mind. Frustration, Isolation, Overwhelm Whether you've been in business for yourself for a day or a decade, you remember that sweet feeling of freedom when you first thought, "I'm going to do this on my own. I'm going to go into business for myself. 10 Ways to Kick the Procrastination Habit I recently read about a survey (by the University of Chicago) which suggested that those who relish challenge are more likely to live up to 10 years longer than those who spend their lives inhibited by timidity.Trying to realize our ambitions, even if we don't always meet them, is preferable to not having the courage or motivation to take the risk. The Ripple Effect: Small Steps Lead to Big Results "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. Playing With Mindfulness: Sneaking In The Back Door I often meet people who say things like, "I've been working on mindfulness for over twenty years."My response is always this: "Oh, you poor thing! Have you tried *playing* with mindfulness? It's very effective, and much more fun!"They tend to look at me like I'm some kind of kook, and then ask the million-dollar question: "How can you play with mindfulness?" Glad you asked. Journaling - A Tool for Healing and Growth The word "journal" comes from the French. It dates back to the 14th century and means daily. Are You Stuck? You know the feeling.There's something you want to do. If You Dont Ask You Are Rejected, 7 Steps to Overcome that Fear of Rejection If You Don't ask then You are Already Rejected. Many Home Based Business People are afraid of Asking Because of fear of rejection. Casting Vision One of my greatest loves as a kid was fishing. This love developed quickly because my family owned a little bait shop that was located near Toledo Bend Lake in Louisiana. Tips To Get Motivated and Overcome Procrastination Procrastination is a complicated behavior that affects all people to some degree. Some experience only small problems with procrastination while with others, it is a major source of anxiety and stress. The Secret to this Famous Singers Success It seems the longer think we have, the longer we put off living the life we see in our heads.You know what I'm talking about. How to Use the Power of Words to Your Benefit - Part II A friend of mine read the article, How to Use the Power of Words to Your Benefit, and dryly made the comment, "So what?"At first it didn't concern me, but a few days later I began thinking about his comment. I had obviously not made the point clear, and therefore I decided to expand on this concept. Hanging On In There - How To Carry On When Your Motivation Is Flagging "I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. Who are they to say it cant be done? Doesn't it just burn you up when you have just shared your 'great idea' with someone and not only are they not as enthusiastic as you, they even go as far as to say your idea won't work! Trust me if this has happened to you you're not alone.In such instances we generally have two choices. Does Your Battery Need Recharging? A technical support person in a pager company tells the story of a customer call to the customer service center from a man who repeatedly complained he was being paged by "Lucille." He was instructed that he would have to call her and tell her to stop paging him. Lazy? Or Right on Schedule Q. I've been working on a big project for a long time. Bold Action: Living in the Moment Reality show audition.. What If I Fall Flat On My Face? I hope you do. Sounds awful, I know. |
home | site map | contact us |