Keep Your Resolutions This Year – Part 2
So…the new year has dawned bright and crisp and we all have high hopes for the opportunities stretching before us. The skies the limit! So much to accomplish! This is a great time to channel that motivation and enthusiasm into making some changes that will help you to be a happier, healthier, more fulfilled person.
As we already discussed, making changes that are successful and permanent takes experimentation, patience, and tenacity. It can be done, though…with some planning and reasonable expectations.
The first stage of change is called precontemplation. During this stage people are not actively considering any changes. People in this stage are typically described as being “in denial” because they claim that their behavior is not a problem.
If this describes you, you may feel resigned to your current state or you may believe that you have no control over your behavior. Often people in this stage do not understand that their behavior is harmful or hurting themselves or others.
If you are in this stage, ask yourself some pertinent questions.
- Have you ever tried to change this behavior in the past?
- How do you recognize that you have a problem?
- How would you consider your behavior a problem?
The next stage of change is called contemplation. During this stage, people are more aware of the potential benefits of changing but the costs are more apparent. This conflict makes it difficult to commit to trying to change. For this reason, the contemplation stage can last months or even years. Actually, many people never make it past the contemplation stage.
If you are contemplating a change, ask yourself:
- Why do I want to change?
- Is there anything preventing me from changing?
- What are some things that could help me successfully change?
NEXT: Successful Preparation for Permanent Change
