To change habits - Six Steps to Success

As each new year approaches, many of us are doing the usual ... think: "This year will be different.'m going to change ... (fill in the blanks) ... my work habits, my attitude. I'm going to lose the pounds, I want that tough decision, and the long make overdue. "We re-make these resolutions throughout the year.

But will actually follow through until the objectives are achieved? Or will this new "commitment" as the others ... many good intentions, manyWishes, but in reality life goes on as usual?

Research on personal change (Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente, Changing for Good ") has shown that successful change comes in six well-defined stages. Perhaps the failure to recognize these stages have been responsible for the recent disappointments and failures in following through on self-improvement.

You see, each of these phases has a number of tasks that must be completed before you progress to the next. Please contactdoomed to fail even when you either try to change that you are not prepared for, or if you stay so long on tasks that have confronted you understand (such as your problem) that you stuck indefinitely . reach

Think about your past experiences, as you read what happened in these six steps.

STAGE 1: Pre
If we at this stage, you are not even the admission, you have a problem. We've all seen unhealthy denial in others. We often see problemsit in us.

Writer GK Chesterton said: "It's not that they can not find a solution. It is not the problem that they can see."

Precontemplators do not want to change. They believe others for their problems to blame. It is more likely that others with the precontemplator the problem and can apply pressure to it or change it. The answers ... Denial and resistance.

Are you in this phase? Chances are, you are with at least one of thedestructive and self-destructive behavior, you need to change.

PHASE 2: Contemplation
If you move to the consideration of the stage, you acknowledge that you have a problem, and you would like glue. They begin to think seriously about solving your problem. You try to understand their causes, and you begin to examine your options. At this point, you have definite plans of action to take place in the coming months.

However, you can put in this phase for months or years.(Is that where you are now?) You know that you need to change, and you intend to one day ... ... only as fast as after ... ... If the rush is over (as if that?). You know your desire and your destination, but you're not quite ready.

Fear of failure keep you looking for a simple, dramatic, or more complete solution to your problem. The irony here is, failure is guaranteed if you do not move to the next level.

STAGE 3: PREPARATION
"If you do not plan toYou plan to fail. "

They significantly reduce your likelihood of success if you suddenly wake up one morning to tell you "This is the day, and then plunge headlong into an amendment without a realistic and concrete plan on how the change happened.

At Level 3, you develop a detailed action plan and you may publicly announce your intentions. Her awareness is high, and you may have already begun small changes in behavior. Before progressing, but you need to know exactly howYou keep your awareness and commitment high throughout the wars of the next steps.

Stage 4: ACTION
This phase is what requires the most commitment and energy. It is where you actually DO IT! You will receive the recognition and support at this stage, because the others can see that you're working on it. Follow the plan that you have made in stage 3, corrections needed, and "on keeping on" even if it inconvenient or holddifficult.

Here is a Warning: Action does not necessarily mean that permanent changes were made. It is an essential part of the process, but the failure to do what is necessary in the next phase, maintenance can be, the progress that sabotage you have previously made.

Stage 5: MAINTENANCE
The maintenance stage is a long, ongoing process. From my experience, it is most difficult. (How often I have diet, for example, to only the weight gain back?)

TheAction section must be by constant vigilance and a systematic plan for dealing with the temptations that you can follow to revert to the old, destructive patterns. It is hard work, the gains you have made during the first four stages, and consolidate to prevent relapse.

Celebrate achieving your goals, but does not relax and say, "Wow, I'm glad that's over!" Develop a menu of mental and behavioral coping strategies that will take you through the times when your feetbegin to slip. (See the next article.)

Stage 6: TERMINATION
There is lively debate as to whether this phase is possible if the behavior've Changed is an addictive habit. The ideal would be that you no longer try to feel, and the habit is not a problem for you. Some say, however, a life that you always have to be vigilant.

I tend to agree. Some can be up to the point that they are not constantly trying to stillthey think it every day. However, I believe that once you have had a deeply ingrained habit or addiction, you are always more vulnerable than if you had never been. Keep a level of consciousness, especially in times of stress. Studies show that slip in times of stress or conflict, the people most likely to take.

Not a linear progression

Would not it be nice if we went ahead smoothly from one stage to the next? It is possible but not probable. Most people have consequencesin contemplation of the relapse or recurrence before a pre trial. 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 have not done that many times to know if you, as you move better through these six stages.)

Do not give up! If not you stay a setback there. Pick Yourself Up, Dust yourself, and try again ... this time with a revised andto plan better.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????? sickest watch sons of anarchy