Why Is Change So Hard?

In this stage of change, individuals commit to the intention of changing in the immediate future and have accepted the costs and benefits. What determines the success of an individual in this stage is their commitment to exploring, planning and insuring.

Set up contracts with yourself, by setting specific measurable goals, and detailing how you will accomplish the task at hand, including contingencies in order to stay on track. 

In this stage of change, individuals move from planning to doing and have been making significant behavioral changes for a while. Here we make substantial adjustments to our relationships, routines, environments, and perhaps even to ourselves in order to further the change we desire.

Continually reflect on the advantages of the commitment you have made, check in with your plans, be kind to yourself when you relapse and give yourself positive reinforcement. 

In this stage, the change has been established for the past six months and the threat of returning to old behaviors becomes less intense or frequent.

There is always a chance of relapsing to old behaviors and re-cycling through the stages, so it’s important to continue planning for events that may trigger it. Recalling what helped through previous stages, reflecting upon mistakes made and how to prevent them without over analyzing or judging will help here.