How Ready Are You For Change?

I would like to introduce you to a theoretical model of behavior change called the Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983; Prochaska, DiClemente & Norcross, 1992; Prochaska and Velicer, 1997).

This model describes how people modify a problem behavior - smoking, not exercising correctly; or acquire a positive behavior – stop smoking, exercise for results. The model consists of 6 stages. If you were to interview people about their willingness to stop smoking or start an exercise program, their readiness for change would start with the following 6 stages. Where they end up, I’m not sure, but you will know what Stage you are in after you read this:

Stage 1 – Precontemplation: You have no current intention to change. You may have tried to change a particular behavior in the past and failed, or you may altogether deny that you have a problem (a weight problem, perhaps). You may feel demoralized, having given up on the possibility of ever changing.

Stage 2 – Contemplation: You acknowledge that you have a problem and are willing to think about your need to change. Although you are open to information and feedback, you can remain in this stage for years, realizing that you have a problem but are unable to generate sufficient energy to change. (The danger here is that you might have a weight problem today; waiting months or years only worsens the condition).

Stage 3 – Preparation: In this stage you are on the verge of action. You are developing plans and may even have made small changes. You focus more on the possibilities for action than on the causes of your behavior. In this stage you might start looking into a professional Personal Trainer or try to do some type of exercise on your own.

Stage 4 – Action: In this stage you are following the action plan that you have developed. The better developed this plan is and the more attention you have devoted to the work of the contemplation and preparation stages, the more successful you are likely to be.

Stage 5 – Maintenance: You have been continuously engaged in your change processes for at least 6 months. Although continuing in your programs or new behaviors feels natural in this stage, overconfidence and life stresses can lead to relapse (Marlatt & Gordon, 1985).

Stage 6 – Termination: In this stage the new behavior has become such an integral part of daily life that the likelihood of relapse is essentially nonexistent.

So there you have it – The 6 Stages of Positive Change. What Stage are you in?