The Habit Loop

The habit loop.

What if I were to tell you that “falling off the wagon” so to speak when it comes to your habits is pretty predictable?

Habits form in a loop, and when you consider some of the habits you have  tried to implement you might see yourself somewhere on this continuum. 

Based on the research of Prochaska, DiClemente, and later Norcross the following seems to be true when it comes to habits. Habits follow a sequential order as we see behaviors changing. 

We begin first in a Precontemplation stage where we really don’t see ourselves doing anything to change. We are just not ready at this moment to forge ahead, and are unmotivated to do anything different. 

The next stage is Contemplationwhere we are beginning to be ready to make a change. We might not do it today, but we can see ourselves changing sometime in the future. We are not quite ready to commit, but we are warming up to the idea. 

Preparation follows next as we are ready to start taking action on the changes we want to make in our life. This reminds me of the week after Christmas as you rev up to get that gym membership to start the new year. 

This is immediately followed by Action where you begin some sort of noticeable changes in your behavior in an attempt to achieve your goal. You may begin running in the morning, or bringing a healthy lunch to work. It is at this point that you begin to notice some changes. 

Action is eventually followed by Maintenance, where people are attempting to maintain the good habits they have worked so hard to achieve. It is during this time frame that they hope not to relapse. 

Unfortunately, because it is a loop you are probably only going to be able to maintain between six months to five years. But not to be discouraged...

After several “wagon falls” I’ve learned a few things:

Don’t be so hard on yourself, you are probably going to miss the mark here and there, but that’s not the end of the world. 

Don’t allow yourself a “finish line.” Just because you have reached your goal weight doesn’t mean your journey is over.

Luckily, the research shows that the longer you have experienced the ebb and flow of the loop, the shorter the distance from relapse to action the next time. In other words, just get back up on that horse, and continue on.

See how the habit loop works in your life, and determine which stage of change you are in. 

“Don’t count your loses, count your lessons. “

John C. Maxwell