Improve Your Life Using the Stages of Change Model (Transtheoretical) - @DrWendyGuess

There are 5 stages:
1. Pre-Contemplation - before you're ready to make a change (awareness building)
2. Contemplation - considering the pros and cons (internal decision making)
3. Preparation - getting ready to make a change (planning for success)
4. Action - making the actual change (Executing)
5. Maintenance - converting from a temp. change to a permanent habit (monitor motivation)

This video is one of a Playlist series of Successful Positive Change training videos that address key elements of making personal, professional, emotional, physical, mental, and social changes. These training videos are designed for both personal and professional use and can be used as a roadmap to changing attitudes, behaviors, organizations, and cultures.

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And in the comments below, please share your positive behavior change experiences so we can all be inspired.

[marymedina]

I really liked this video because it shows a guideline on how to make the process of adaptation less painful. Everything in life has to be done step by step, and sometimes I make the mistake of skipping steps because I want to get things done quickly. It is important to analyze the situation, research, prepare myself, and then take action. When we go straight to taking action, we tend to stop implementing the changes because it doesn't work, but the problem isn't the changes, the problem is that we didn't transition well.

[dianafranco]

To achieve changes, I think it is important to recognize these stages but is also essential to include transformational vocabulary into your daily life in order to enjoy this process. One year ago, I read the book by Anthony Robbins, “Awaken the Giant Within”, that taught me this powerful word which I included in my mental vocabulary immediately: C.A.N.I. (constant and never-ending improvement). With this word in mind, every day I’m making small incremental improvements in my routine to see potential changes in the long term, helping me to develop every aspect of my life, my emotions, my relationships, my finances, my career and my health.

[seanbeland]

I have experienced all five of these stages with my health and fitness journey. I spent almost 4 years working out 3 days a week and saw little results. This was because I keep losing motivating when my work life got tough and looked to unhealthy foods and activities. I now find myself getting results weekly and couldn’t be happier. This is because I made a schedule that couldn't give me an opportunity to back out of or to make excuses from. This allows me to be consistent daily and affects me positively in many ways. I think that this same model can be used in professional life as well. Many people struggle with giving their full potential for their business or at their workplace. If you give ourselves timelines and schedules that do not allow us to make excuses, we will be more effective.

[lo]

It is very interesting that we cover this in class, as I personally am in the maintenance stage of a behavior change. Sometimes we view change negatively, we view it as it means something is wrong with us, when that is not the case. I personally used to view change negatively. I now realize that was pride talking and after going through those stages (without knowing) I re-evaluated where I was headed in life and where I want to go and I understood I had to make certain behavior changes in order to reach the next positive level in life, that I wanted to be at.

[catalinasepulveda]

Hello Dr. Guess, I really enjoyed the content of the video. Being aware of the process of our minds when initiating a change makes a huge impact in the way we approach any challenge. Whether is losing weight, waking up early, eating healthy or as in my case changing careers; knowing that what happens through your mind is a stage in the process, can give you the compassion for yourself that is required to correct ways and keep going forward. We are sometimes way too hard with ourselves, we are the biggest critic of our behavior, we sabotage ourselves with the excuse like 'I'm not cut up for that' and 'that is not made for me' or ' I'm just not good enough'. I will definitely study more this topic, the awareness of our psychological nature give us the power to own our life and make the necessary changes to become what we want to be.

[juliatorok]

Wow, thank you Dr. Wendy Guess! This video should be mandatory to everyone! Talking about changing your habits in general or your weight loss journey. As I learned about myself watching this video, I am usually following these 5 stages of change, though subconsciously, I have never considered the stages of habit-changing before. Now, having the knowledge I can do it consciously, which will bring me more success reaching and staying in stage 5, when I am trying to implement a new habit.
There is a sentence in the video I have never thought about before, but hearing it it out loud makes so much sense: „Work on your internal attitude changes and you will be able to make the external behavioural changes that you desire” From now on this will be my motto in professional and personal life and in my fitness routine, so I can become a better version of myself.

[ileanavarela]

I also agree with Karla that applying this Transtheoretical Model can be a great tool in marketing. As a marketer for a medical school, if Isabella was a prospective student, I would want to make sure she had easily accessible information about my medical school so that she can start considering being one of our students. Once she hopefully decides to come to our school, we'd let her know that we have a support system necessary to make sure she stays in school and thrives as a medical student. When she graduates, she can be one of our brand ambassadors and tell everyone what a great medical school we have. When i first started working at my current job, I found it a bid odd to think of students as "customers", but that is what they are, they are buying a product, education, and expect customer service; and like any other customer, we must analyze and try to influence the process they go through in choosing a product.

[seancox]

Awesome video! While this video focuses on an individuals personal states of change as it relates to weight loss and mental health, I can easily see how the transtheoretical model can be applied to the buying decision process. Consumers naturally uncover a "need" for a type of product or service which can be related to the pre-contemplation stage. Once the need has been uncovered, the buyer has to then contemplate the pros and cons of the product or service. These are just two of the preliminary steps recognized before the buyer has mentally committed to purchasing the product. It's interesting how as marketers, we can look at behavioral change as it applies it to our personal lives, as well as our potential customers.

[paulinafonseca]

This is a topic that more people should discuss! Understanding the transtheoretical model takes out the guesswork of how to change your behavior. I too have great intentions of creating new behaviors that will decrease my stress. I set a goal of going to the gym four times a week to get active and healthy. However, when the time comes to go I find various excuses not to work out. Cue the: "I am tired", "I have had a long day" or the infamous "I will go tomorrow". Dr. Guess the true gem you shared is how in the maintenance stage building a supportive network prevents a relapse. I ended up switching my gym membership to one where my friends go regularly. With their support and encouragement, I now make the time to go to the gym! They keep me motivated and on track to achieve my fitness goals. After watching this insightful video, I know the value of creating support groups to change behavior. Next up: Creating a book club to encourage me to read more.

[adrianaespinoza]

This video really connects with my personal and professional life. Just like Isabella I have experienced a hectic and heavy workload with work. I too was stuck in the pre-contemplation phase where I didn’t know what the right decision would be to start a hobby that would better my life but take up time or focus on my heavy workload. It took me a while to notice I had when my close friend explain I needed to move my body and be proactive then focus on the workload are affecting my health. She showed me the benefits and once I finished the contemplation stage I started the preparation phase by scheduling specific time for my mental health and to work out. I am currently still in the action phase and proud of it. Using behavioral sciences such as the Transtheoretical Model can assist many in making a true change in their day-to-day activities, their health, and productivity. Thank you Dr.Guess for providing a great demonstration on behavioral science and the stages of change.
This is definitely a topic I will share with others to provide a different point of view on change.

[elishamamumo]

Dr. Guess, thank-you for this creative yet very elaborate explanation. At first, when you come across the transtheoretical model, you might assume that its value is limited to personal change. But after watching it a few times, I’ve suddenly realized the benefit it has for marketers to understand human psychology.

One of my toughest responsibilities as a marketer has been to learn how to understand human behavior so that I can adapt my market activities to the changing needs of my client. The transtheoretical model simply gives me insight as to which stage of change my client is, allowing me to better understand his/her pain points, anticipate what they are looking for, and possibly anticipate what they are likely to expect next as they traverse through their customer journey so that I can serve them as best as I can through every step of the way.

[adrianafanatic]

Dr. Guess does a fantastic job at explaining the transtheoretical model to your average person. A hidden gem in this video is when the character "Isabella" worked on her internal attitude changes she was able to make the external body changed her body desired. This led her to be happier, more focused and in shape. This enlightening because I have always been a firm believer that you will never be able to succeed in something until you mentally commit to it. If your mind is not in the right place, your body will stay stagnant.

[bewitched_sam]

I have personally gone through the Transtheoretical Model when it came to losing weight, running and lifting weights. I was obese and unhappy with the way I felt. I was eating my emotions (who does that?!) and very stressed out between work, school, starting a new job, in a new city, in a new state trying to maintain a relationship as well! Phew! I made my goals known to friends and I would hear words of encouragement and support. The more weight I lost, more people asked me, how did you do it? I told them: the good old fashioned way. Watching what I ate, exercising (both weights and cardio) and remembering that it is OK to slip up and that every day is another chance to start fresh. It's been almost 2 years and I've maintained a 40 pound weight loss (and counting)!

[LuisauraAlvarez]

As a mentor and marketer I agree that behavioral science can change ones life personally and professionally. Many habits begin on a personal level that later bleed into other aspects of ones life. The stages of behavior change are accurate but also very easy to follow. Having grace during the action stage is key, this allows for you to remember it is OK to not always be "100%" as long as you stay focused and don't get "off the train" you can start and continuing onto the next stage . Consistency is key and having a support system that will hold you accountable but also motivate you in moments is a receipt for success. Thank you Dr. Guess for developing a digestible video that provides insights to developing lifelong healthy changes.

[angelarteaga]

A few points from this video stuck with me but one that definitely stuck with me is how to avoid a "relapse." Sometimes I find a way to change but over time find myself falling back into old habits. The point made about involving others, family, friends etc.. really stuck with me because that "pack mentality" holding each other accountable can keep you going and keep you motivated. I believe that is what I had lacked sometimes resulting in me not being able to hold my change together permanently.

[kassandracuero]

This video really focuses on ways to improve ourselves, though I do really appreciate the humanity of it, by considering how hard it actually is to implement changes within ourselves. This is something that hits home for all of us, as it describes the need for change, and the steps to be able to do so more easily. It is not only inspiring, but very fundamental in regard to how we perceive ourselves.

[juantenorio]

This video give a punctual and excellent insight on the Transtheoretical Model and how can help you and co-worker to change some bad habits that you and your co worker might have. The most important part for me was the support group on the maintenance stage, because even that it is important to start, keep doing it until is transform in a regular behavior and part of yourself.

At the office it is important that you implemented this method to achieved important changes on the group, but it is important that they do it together, so they can support each other when they resist to the change and each one can pass that breaking point to transform this new behavior in a good habit.

[TheGeap]

As a marketer, I believe the transtheoretical model is a useful guide when designing communication strategies for my clients. Different messages are needed depending on the current stage that my client is in. Additionally, it is likely that distinct clients will be in differing stages and messages should be adjusted accordingly. I can’t help but draw a connection between the stages of change model and the AIDA model. Precontemplation is similar to awareness, contemplation fits in well with interest, preparation is desire and action is action (obviously). The AIDA model is missing the maintenance phase and we should not ignore this if we want to build a loyal customer base and extend customer lifetime value. As marketers, we must continuously construct appropriate messages that delight our clients and support recurrent purchases. If we ignore the last step of the transtheoretical model, change will not be sustained, and our product or service will likely perish.

[daniellederman]

Personally — and it hurts to admit — but I often find myself in the pre-contemplation stage and not moving forward. With the way the world is changing every minute and we must adapt to it, we're always finding reasons to not move forward. This opened my eyes to how consumers are often the same way; like most people, without a push, we don't exit the first stage. It takes a good push (either by a marketer or another customer who is already part of a brand community) to help potential consumers to move on up to contemplation and even more so to make sure they move all the way up to action. The litmus test, I think, of any great marketer is making sure that the maintenance stage lasts as long as possible.

[clarkisraeli]

I find this extremely intriguing because we all go through these stages and can't figure out why we failed. Change is more than just doing something, I always thought you have to train your mind to be more diligent and consistent however, it is not all on us. As it said in the video, having a supportive group of friends can make the difference between succeeding in your ventures and giving up. It is not their responsibility to make you succeed, but it is not beneficial to solely rely on yourself.