 of five possible stages of change:
- First, there is pre-contemplative, where the person is not ready to even think about changing (and, no, nagging will not make a difference)
- Contemplative is when the person is ready to start thinking about a change, which then evolves to
- Prepared to make a change in any given area of health behaviour. Obviously, it is individuals who are ready or prepared to make a change who are more likely to take that first step, whether it is buying a new pair of running shoes or calling the QUIT line
- Once you have started a new habit, then you are considered to be in the action (the early stages of a new habit) then
- maintenance (established new habit) stages. Regardless of how much others want you to kick an old habit or take up a new one, you have to be ready to make the change yourself.
So how do I make that resolution stick?
Lots of people are ready to make the change – so why is it that so many of us will end up back here at the beginning of 2015?
Resolutions often fail because we do not put into place a couple of things that can really help us – regardless of the habit to be kicked or gained.
First, work out exactly what you want to do. Don’t be wishy-washy or vague. If you say “I want to be more active”, it is difficult to know what you really mean, and you won’t know when you actually achieve it.
Will you take the stairs instead of the lift at work? Join a gym? Run a marathon? Being specific when changing your habits allows you to focus your attention and efforts on what you really want, and removes the temptation to make excuses (“I got up and down off the couch five times today so I don’t need to walk the dog”).
Second, set small steps for yourself. Make sure that you take these small steps regularly. This is where your self-efficacy boost comes in.
Start by buying new runners but then make sure you take the next small step, like walking around the block. Continue with each next small step – like progressing from walking one to two blocks, and then to a slow jog/crawl around the block – until you achieve whatever your goal is. Remember, self-efficacy can be built, and small steps will help you do that.
Last, set yourself up for success. Remove temptations like that sweets jar on the corner of your desk or the ice-cream in the freezer at home.
Try to make the habit you are aiming for easier by introducing a fruit bowl on your desk or sleeping in your running gear the night before. Ask a friend to join you for the ride – it’s much harder to make excuses to another warm body and more fun to do stuff with a friend.