The 5 stages of change
Did you know that, whatever your thoughts on almost any given area that requires action, you are in one of the Stages of Change:
- Not Ready for Change
- Thinking About Change
- Preparing for Action
- Taking Action
- Maintaining a Good Thing
To me, this is a very exciting model for two reasons. The first is that this concept of the Stages of Change can be applied not just to action but to thoughts. For example, if I define myself as someone who hates kumquats (something I have heard about but never actually seen), the truth is that I am really only in Stage 1: Not ready for change. In fact, I am probably “stuck” in Stage 1, as it never occurs to the majority of us that I could choose to change my thinking on kumquats. This opens up an exciting area for personal growth and development: I am not my thoughts. I can change any of my thoughts, even the most deep-rooted thought or belief.
Becoming aware of the stages of change also helps me understand that there are 3 steps prior to actually taking action. Before I can get to that stage, I must pass through “Not Ready”, “Thinking About”, and “Preparing For”. That’s good news because most of us tend to feel guilty about not taking action. If we can begin to see wherever we are as just one of the steps along the way, I suspect that we can let go of the guilt. Once we let go of the guilt, it usually becomes easier to move on to the next stage. That is one of the little ironies of life!
For homework, I’d suggest thinking about the many areas of your life in the context of the stages of change, including your thoughts and beliefs. What stage are you in for each area? Where would you like to be? Are you stuck where you are? Give yourself permission to be where you are as well as permission to move on to the next step. And remember that whatever action you take, it doesn’t need to be forever! However, taking action today lightens our loads considerably and brings us one step closer to living our dream life.
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