New Year, New You: Best Success Model Using Five Stages of Change -- YOU.Better! Studio -- Bay View,

Precontemplation (Assessment) – Here you may not be aware of a change needed or you are moving from unawareness to awareness. You may receive feedback from others. It can also be looked at as moving from what you believe is your normal status quo behavior to transitioning to a new view of it. This then takes you to the next state: Contemplation.

Contemplation (Assessment) – This stage is marked by your own opening up to entertain other perspectives, namely, to consider the information you have received. Here, you determine whether you have an opportunity to change. Contemplation is considered to be a position of near neutrality until you have decided there is a new behavior for you to achieve. Sometimes you even bring yourself to this stage.

Preparation (Prepare & Plan) – Now that the information gathering and assessment of change is complete, you are at the stage where you know you have the power and ability to make the change. Your pros outweigh the cons and you’ve made your commitment. Therefore, it is time to prepare and plan for the change. The key here is identifying triggers, temptations, and pitfalls; this identification will actually increase the likelihood of your success. And be realistic about encountering unplanned challenges as they invariably arise (because they will), so be sure to be flexible for these events. Maintaining this kind of flexibility keeps you from falling apart and helps you stay on track.

Action (Implement/Do It) – At this stage, your belief in your power and ability to change is at its high. Now the rubber hits the road and you are putting your plan into the action of doing it – changing your status quo behaviors to the desired state! It can be a mistake to think that if you are not perfect you have failed. It is always possible to cycle

Maintenance (Sustain) – Your desired state is now your new status quo. You are avoiding the temptations and pitfalls on a regular basis and you have identified the triggers with a good majority of success in overcoming them. The beauty of this step is that it becomes much more like second nature for a majority of the time. Continue to remember how far you have come, review the positive outcome of why it is important to you to not go back to the old behavior. With your new self-confidence, you may even decide to tackle a new challenge!!