Are you ready to make a change for better health? Consider these 8 questions.

Welcome to the first post in the “Make a Change” series. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing tips and other information to help you reach your 2022 wellness goals!

Are you ready to make a change to improve your health?

You may have considered making changes to your diet or incorporating more exercise into your day.

However, making a lasting change is often more difficult than it seems due to multiple factors including friends and family, work and lifestyle.

It also may be possible that you are not fully ready to make a change or need to revise your plan before you get started.

A few years ago, I went through the process after I made the decision to eat less sugar. Making this change to my diet was difficult and almost quit a few times.

Despite this difficulty, I continued to remind myself that this change was for the better. I found a way to persevere, reached my goal and have continued this new habit for years. Read more about my experience here.

If you are ready or considering making a change toward better health, learn more about the five stages of change and eight questions that can help you decide if you are ready to take the next step.

Table of Contents

5 Stages of Change

One of the most prominent behavior change models is the Transtheoretical Model for Behavior Change (TTM), which views deliberate behavior change as a process through stages. The TTM focuses on determining a person’s readiness to change and the progression to the final stage for a lasting change. There are five stages of the process:

Stage	Description
Pre-Contemplation	You do not plan on making a change for a least six months, or unaware that a change is needed.
Contemplation	You have considered making a change but you not sure how to do it or you are still on the fence about it making a change in the first place.
Preparation	You have decided to make a change and started to make goals and create a plan.
Action	You have put your plan into motion and making adjustments. You also may experience relapses to you plan.
Maintenance	You have kept your changes in place for more than 6 months and have become a part of your routine.

Readiness to change questionnaire

Now that we have explored the stages of change, let’s see if you are ready to get started! Take a look at the questionnaire* below and answer each one with “yes” or “no.”

Are you looking to change a specific behavior?
Are you willing to make this behavioral change a top priority?
Have you tried to change this behavior before?
Do you believe there are inherent risks/dangers associated with not making this behavioral change?
Are you committed to making this change, even though it may prove challenging?
Do you have support for making this change from friends, family, and loved ones?
Besides health reasons, do you have other reasons for wanting to change this behavior?
Are you prepared to be patient with yourself if you encounter obstacles, barriers, and/or setbacks?

*taken from American Council on Exercise (ACE) “Readiness to Change Questionnaire”

How to interpret your results

If you answered most of the questions with yes,” you are most likely ready to make a specific behavior change. Set your goals, create a plan and get to work!

If you answered most of the questions with “no,” you may not be fully ready to make a change. Although you may not be fully ready, try making a list of pros and cons of making a change in the near future.

If you had a mixture of yes and no, you may be ready to make a change, however, you may need to take more time to set goals and develop a plan. Consider what has worked for you in the past and incorporate that into next steps.

Summary

When an individual decides to make a behavior change, they experience the process in five stages (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance).

The process of making a change can be difficult and overwhelming. However, setting realistic goals and creating a plan will bring you one step closer to making a worthwhile change toward better health.

If you are not sure if you are ready to make a change or need help taking the next step, contact me here.

Are you planning on making a change soon? Let me know in the comments below!