Ahwatukee Living’s Ask the Experts

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Making Change Last

Change your mind, change your culture, and let your body's hints guide you along the way!

Many people come to Living Inline looking to make a change and let's face it; for most, radical change is not easy.

Many people want to embrace Nike's ad and -just do it--- but we thought it might be helpful and the right time of year to find out how people really make changes . . . be prepared for it to be messy and promise us you will be easy with yourself.

There is a model that we have been studying which is called the -transtheoretical
model- created by psychologists ( Prochaska and DiClemente, 1982) which lays out a series of stages that people pass through in their attempts to make changes in their lives. The stages are : precontemplation, contemplation, decision, action, relapse, and maintenance.

Maybe it starts like this. You start out not being aware of any problem at all.
Then a seed of doubt is planted. ---Yeah, OK, maybe my boss
(spouse/kid/parent/friend) has a point . . .--- You go back and forth, maybe for a long time, thinking about it.

Thinking about what it would take to change this about yourself, maybe trying on the idea, rejecting it, and so forth. The transtheoretical model's genius is recognizing this stage, that thinking about change "counts."

Perhaps your ambivalence reaches an excruciating point and you decide to try a change. You take action, and it is likely that this action is not going to be enough to turn the ship around, so you relapse.

You might go back to just thinking about it, or even to precontemplation:
--problem-- what problem-you exclaim and then maybe eventually you try again.

You can be moving through these stages back and forth and around, for years.
Pretty messy. That magical --maintenance--stage seems like an oasis in the distance.

Where are you now?

Think about your most nagging issue. Is your next step one of not doing something, or doing something-- Remember the saying : Grant me serenity to accept what I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the
difference--- Is your task a challenge to accept something or a challenge to change something.

Commitment and Motivation:
So How do you set goals you can reach?
Figure out where you are in the process of change.

For example, don't try to take action if you are in the thinking stage.
Instead, make your goal to set aside 5 minutes a day to think about the issue.

Make the goal a level easier than you think you could achieve. We love telling our clients to underpromise and then over-deliver.

Now when you're thinking up goals you are in a particular mindset, one that you will abandon as you re-enter daily life. Daily life mindsets have to cope with competing demands, so go a notch lower than you think is ideal.

Make the goal concrete enough to tell whether you achieved it or not.

Big and huge aspirational goals like I will love and accept my body, my spouse, my co-worker are too vague. How do you know when you are -there--- Instead, make it something measurable, like, -Identify one true and positive aspect of my body each day for a week.

Try to identify the opinions of all parts of yourself about this goal.
Sure, there's an over-achiever and Miss Self-Improvement part of you who is in favor of change, but there may also be a wild , partying side of you who craves a tattoo who will say you're just fine the way you are.

Try on several hats, crowns, and tiaras and see what the change means from these different points of view, then let the observing part of you see the big picture.
Sort of like convening a focus group for one. Is there enough of a consensus to
proceed---

Can the concerns of rebellious or doubting parts of yourself be addressed---

Think of making a change in your health or in your overall life as similar to learning a foreign language or a musical instrument.

It takes longer, is harder, and requires more self-reflection than you think.
Might as well budget it in. Plan to practice for months to years before you have it mastered.

Last but not least: Practice, practice, practice.
In light of all this effort, only attempt changes that you can live with indefinitely, which improve the quality of your life. If the change is worth it, you can stay motivated to keep coming back when it doesn't change overnight or easily.

We salute all of you and your thirst and willingness to create change-filled and fulfilling lives!

Thank you for all your loving support and we send you our best thoughts of appreciation.

Jason, Elissa and
Chanda Schrader the
Awesome Office Coordinator

Living Inline-
Experts in Balancing Body, Food and Mind

4221 East Chandler Blvd. Suite 114, in Ahwatukee Phone# 480-704-2787 www.livinginline.com

Just 1 mile west of the I-10 freeway on the south side of the street
1 block west of the Ironwood Library
1 block east of the new Trader Joe's

Living Inline: The Perfect Place for People to Visit if They are Passionate about Natural Health!

WeThank You!

Hours-
Mondays
New Practice members seen at 8:45 am, 1:15 pm and 7:15 pm
Balancing Sessions 10 am-1 pm 4pm- 7pm

Tuesdays- Life Coaching and Food coaching by appointment

Wednesdays-
New Practice members seen at 8:45 am, 1:15 pm and 7:15 pm
Mondays Balancing Sessions 10 am-1 pm 4pm- 7pm

Thursdays
New Practice members seen at 8:45 am, 1:15 pm and 7:15 pm
Balancing Sessions 10 am-1 pm 4pm- 7pm

Posted on February 22, 2006