Making Change...and Making it Stick

Good News: a New Year gives us the feeling of a fresh start, a clean slate with the world of possibility before us, so we make resolutions.

Not so good news: In studies of more than 60,000 people over the past 15 years, psychologist Dr. James Prochaska and his associates found that only 77 percent of New Year's resolutions survive the first week. A month later, that decreases to 55 percent.

More Good News: There is a way to successfully make change, according to Dr. Prochaska, and it involves a 6 stage cycle. By identifying and understanding where we are in the process, we gain more control of the cycle and move through the change process less painfully, quicker and more efficiently. Here are his six stages:
1. Pre-contemplation (denial)
2. Contemplation (thinking about change)
3. Preparation (ready to make change within 30 days)
4. Action
5. Maintenance (holding onto the new behavior despite challenges)
6. Termination (the old behavior no longer exists)

The good Dr. notes that only 5% of people experience no setbacks. Most successful changers go through the six-stage cycle 3 or 4 times before they complete the process. He calls this “recycling”, indicating it is a process still in motion.

I like it. Change is a process, not something we can necessarily expect to achieve starting on January 1 just because we wrote it down. A good tool and a process we can understand, coupled with knowing it’s ok to dust ourselves off and get back on the horse however many times it takes, is very powerful. Try it out. I’ll apply it to my goal of working smarter, not harder this year.

One more thing: I ran across this “Affirmation for your New Year” from a book called “The Wealthy Spirit” and want to share it with you:

I am a person. I am a good person, and I love and care for those around me.
I do the best I can to spread joy and cheer in the world, take care of my responsibilities, and be honest, faithful and true to myself and others.
If I fail today, I will try to do better tomorrow.
No mistake is worthless if I learn something from it.
I hold myself harmless from perfection.

Here's to an exceptional New Year!

(thanks to Marcia Bench and her blog post regarding the Change Cycle by Dr. Prochaska)