We are creatures of habit. In any given day, as much as 40% of choices are made from habit rather than active contemplation. It is necessary that we operate this way. Our brains are incredible at streamlining information and creating neural pathways that allow for the minimum amount of energy expenditure for an often repeated task or behavior. Think back to the first time you ever backed a car out of the driveway, and of all the things you had to actively focus on to be successful. If we still had to do that, every day, about every thing, we wouldn’t have enough energy to focus.
Unfortunately, this also means that creating change in our lives can be quite challenging at times, because we are essentially having to rewire our brains in order to form new habits. The Transtheoretical Model, which is based on more than two decades of research, states that there are multiple stages of change, and that we can exit and re-enter at any stage.
The first stage of change is the pre-contemplation stage. This is the stage where we are not quite ready to take action in the foreseeable future. We're thinking about it, but we'll get to it later.
The next stage, the contemplation stage, is when we begin to consider the changes we would like to make. We begin to weigh out the pros and cons, and the acute awareness of the consequences of change often causes people to experience a sense of “analysis paralysis,” where they can be stuck in this stage for a long time. This phenomenon is characterized as chronic contemplation or behavioral procrastination.
The next stage of change is preparation, where action is intended in the immediate future. This is the stage where we might join a gym, consult with a counselor, create a business plan, etc. We are taking identifiable action steps toward achieving our goal.
Shortly after the preparation stage we enter the action stage. This is where we begin to make specific modifications in our lifestyle to support the change. We incorporate these changes into our regular routines.
And finally we enter the maintenance stage, where we keep up the lifestyle changes implemented in the action stage and work to prevent relapse into old patterns or behaviors.
New Year’s Resolutions often fail because they don’t address the need to rewire our thinking in order to achieve them, nor the daily and long-term practice required to build habits. Resolutions are often focused on a negative aspect of our lives, or something we want to do less of. Trying to change our default thinking to “just not doing it” effectively strengthens the behavior we are trying to move away from.
When we commit to change, and practice regularly, eventually the change we create becomes the new habit. But it is a process. It requires time and deliberation. It requires practice and self-compassion. As I mentioned earlier we can hop on and off the stages of change model at any point, and that is okay.