How Ready Are You to Change?

Changing habits is not simple or easy. For this reason, one of the questions I typically ask my coaching clients is “On the scale of 1 to 10, how ready are you to change?” I have found that their honest answer to this question is linked to if they are actually going to change and achieve their goals. Trying to change before you are ready to change isn’t going to be productive. This is the reason why New Year’s resolutions don’t last. People spring into action without being prepared to do the work that it takes transform.

According to psychologist Dr. James Prochaska, change of any sort takes place through a series of steps or stages. At the core, most efforts to change don’t last because a person has not done the pre-work that it takes to be actually be ready for change.

The most important question you can ask yourself before you try to form a new habit is “Am I really ready to change?”

Here are the Stages of Readiness to Change:

Pre-contemplation: No perceived need for change.

People in this stage often deny having a problem, resist change and avoid talking about it when it is brought up. They often feel as though their situation is hopeless.

Contemplation: Thinking about making a changes.

People in this stage start to think about plans for change, but not yet committed. They often mistake thinking for action. Fear of failure can keep them stuck.

Preparation: Preparing and feeling motivated to change.

People in this stage are planning on taking action soon; however, they still need convincing that change is required

Action: Actively making changes and modifying behavior.

In this stage people make a deliberate effort to modify their effort and environment. This requires the greatest commitment of a person’s energy and time.

Maintenance: maintaining the change over a period of time.

This is how change can last a lifetime. There needs to be a strong commitment to continue with the actions implemented, otherwise a person will go back to to where they were.

Questions to Ponder:

On a scale of 1 to 10 how ready are you to change? What can you do to become more ready for action on your goals?

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