HOW THE SCIENCE OF CHANGE CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR 2021 HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS.

Could Lockdown 3 be harnessed as a catalyst for change in your life – to become fitter, healthier and happier? Many start New Year’s resolutions. A good majority fail to achieve their goals. Why?

They fail to change behaviours – which is a basic requirement to be successful. Instead of focusing on one or two small changes, they focus on the big picture – and don’t have a clear pathway to success.

In order to change successfully, you first need to understand where you are in the change process. Once you’ve determined what stage you are in, you can move closer to your ultimate goal. So, you need a basic understanding of the six behaviour change stages, and how to navigate them. The stages include:

1. Pre-Contemplation—the earliest and hardest stage to navigate. In this stage, a person is unaware they have a problem, so they don’t understand how damaging their behaviour actually is.

2. Contemplation—in this stage, people are more aware of their behaviour, and how making a change could benefit them.

3. Preparation—this stage is where you make small changes towards making a big life change. This is the “baby step” stage where a person is making changes, but needs to be motivated to keep going.

4. Action stage—in this stage, the person is committed to changing and is taking direct action to accomplish their goals. A person needs internal and external motivation to keep moving in the right direction.

5. Maintenance—during this stage, you focus on avoiding the same mistakes you made in the past. This is where you focus on adopting new habits and avoiding temptation.

6. Relapse—this often happens during any behaviour change. Although it may lead to feelings of failure and frustration, it’s important to maintain your confidence. Obstacles will happen, but don’t let them deter you from future success.

Can you identify where you are in your change process this New Year?

If you need help and support to help you navigate through your personal change process contact me. It’s one of the core skills of a personal trainer and fitness coach.

If you have the motivation you can and will succeed, but it’s so much easier being supported and accountable. Seize this exceptional opportunity and do something really great during this lockdown.

Let's do this. Let's get moving!