So How Goes Those Resolutions?!!!

Despite good intentions, not everyone is always ready to change aspects of their life. Going from where you are to where you want to be is a process, with several stages of what psychologists call readiness to change.

The key to successful change is identifying where you are along the continuum. Imagine that your doctor tells you to lose weight. Change is unlikely to happen if you’re in the “I won’t change” or “I can’t change” stages. You might not consider your weight to be a problem or you might not believe yourself to be capable of doing anything about it. And this may be how your life continues.

Sometimes, though, something motivates you to move out of these stages. Maybe a health scare or an upcoming special event like a wedding or a class reunion opens you up to the idea of change. You might tell yourself that you should get more exercise or cut out junk food. You might even tell yourself that you want to join a gym or eat more nutritious foods. This is the stage where either you do nothing despite the "I should"s and "I want"s or you decide to taking action toward change.

Once you decide that you’re going to try to change, the more you prepare to change, the better your chances will be for success. You might start to check out gyms or try new recipes. You might start to keep a food diary or talk to your co-workers about walking during lunch break. This is the stage where working with a coach can have a positive impact. A coach can help you identify and manage obstacles, harness strengths and resources, and focus on small, realistic changes. A coach can help you become more confident and feel more in control.

So how goes those New Year resolutions?!!! If you're not sure which readiness to change stage you’re in, a coach can help you figure it out. A coach can also help you figure out what you can do to move through all the stages and make those resolutions come true!