Making Lasting Life Changes

If you could change anything at all in your life, what would you change?  Which of these changes would be most tied to improving your overall health and well-being? Perhaps you are thinking that you need to exercise more often, make better food choices, nurture your relationships, stop smoking, manage stress better or prioritize taking care of yourself. 

Perhaps you have taken steps to make life changes in the past but became discouraged and gave up because the changes just didn't stick.  If so, you are not alone.  The vast majority of us will have difficulty making changes in our lives despite our best intentions.  Old habits are hard to break and new ones can be difficult to break in before they become habit.  In fact, it is not uncommon to attempt to make several change attempts before making lasting life changes. 

So what can we do to increase the likelihood of success?  To get started, ask yourself the following questions and write down the answers to get a better sense of where you stand with your desired changes:    

1. What are the good things I am seeking in life? Better physical health? Improved relationships? Better work/life balance? Improved ability to manage stress? You may find it helpful to answer this question in relation to your life values.  Examples of common life values include being healthy, being a good parent, being responsible, or being a good role model.   

2. What are my personal reasons for considering and making these changes?  List your reasons, not your spouse's or your best friend's or your doctor's reasons.  Yours.  Lasting change is more likely when you consider your own reasons for change and reminding yourself of these reasons when keeping up with change is difficult.  

3. Am I ready to make changes? In other words, is this a good time in your life to make changes and do you have the information, time, energy, and resources to make change happen right now? We know that change requires an investment of our effort, time, and energy.  Therefore, change involves opportunity cost in the sense that the time, energy, and effort you invest in making the change means that you may forgo something else that you value.        

4. What is standing in my way of making lasting changes in my life? In other words, think about your barriers.  What's holding you back or keeping you stuck? Perhaps it's not having the information, the resources or even the confidence to make change successful.  Take an honest look at your barriers and brainstorm possible solutions to each barrier.   

Answers to the above will hopefully help you get started with at least thinking about and mentally preparing yourself for making lasting life changes.