Happy New Year!!!
Every January 1st, I like to think about my goals, intentions, and plans for the new year.
On the one hand, I can see why some people dislike setting New Year’s resolutions or goals, as it can be a reminder of all the times when they failed to follow through on their best laid-out plans for change.
But on the other hand, I think it’s a healthy practice to sit and reflect on how you want your life to improve, and January can be a great time to think about what you want to change within yourself, your life, and your future.
Is Change Possible? Absolutely
As a psychologist, my livelihood is about helping people change – to heal, grow, and become a better version of themselves. So, whenever someone asks me if it’s possible to change, my answer is always the same: absolutely.
And for the next few posts, I’ll be writing about the change process.
What Smokers Teach Us About Change
In the 1970s, Prochaska and DiClemente wanted to know why some people could successfully quit smoking after only one attempt. In contrast, others needed to stop 5, 6, or 7 times before successfully kicking the smoking habit.
These psychologists found that there were several unique stages or phases that people went through before they successfully quit smoking.
And today, we can apply the knowledge these researchers gained from studying the quitting process in smokers and use it to change almost any behavior.
Change Happens in Stages
Here are the different stages that a person goes through whenever they want to change a behavior:
- Precontemplation – Here, the person isn’t even thinking about change because they believe there’s nothing wrong with them or their behavior.
- Contemplation – In this stage, a person contemplates change, but they’re not sure if it’s worth all the work.
- Preparation – Here, the person has decided to change but isn’t sure how to do it.
- Action – The person is in the change process and is working on their new behavior daily.
- Maintenance – The new behavior is now a regular part of daily life.
- Relapse – We are rarely successful with change the first time around. Here, the person relapses back to their old ways and decides to go through the process again.
It Takes Time to See Change
Change doesn’t just happen overnight. Instead, there are stages and processes that one must go through.
Whether you want to exercise more often, drink less alcohol, eat less junk food, or be a more responsive parent, the stages of change that a person goes through are universal.
When January 1st rolls around, most of us like to think that change will magically happen, that we will magically find the motivation to do a new behavior that we’ve struggled to do for the last 364 days.
For now, I would like you to reflect on the scientific evidence behind the change process: that it takes time and often takes several attempts.
Remember this before you give up on your goals.
I hope this tip helps with your pursuit of change, balance, and growth.
Richard