The 5 stages of change

By Brian Maynor

 

 

Change is hard, but knowing the five stages can make it a little easier.

When we embark on change, whether it’s personal or professional, we are highly motivated at the beginning, but over time we lose that motivation and more often than not abandon the entire endeavor.

For a lot of us, the problem is necessarily the commitment required to make a change, but the fact that we have no guide or reference point of what to expect or if our efforts are being effective.  If we did, then it might be easier to push through the setbacks because we’d know where we’ve been and what’s coming next.

Good news!  There is a map to the process of change, and there are only five essential stages.  Here’s a breakdown of each one:

1.   Identifying the goal.  No matter how you phrase it, the impetus to change is the fact that we don’t like something about our situation or ourselves and we’re ready to do something about it.  For some people, this will be easy and very specific, but if that’s not you don’t worry.  At this initial stage broad, sweeping and even nebulous ideas are enough.  The goal is to simply identify the change you want to make.

2.    Breaking it down.  This is really where a lot of the work comes in, because you are creating the steps to achieve your goal, and where most attempts to change begin to fail.  We tend to jump from identifying the goal to working on achieving it with little or no time spent on planning how to get there.  It’s a lot like embarking on a road trip with only a destination in mind.  You may eventually get there, but it won’t be as easy or quick as if you mapped out a route.

3.    Track everything.  By tracking everything, big and small, we create a visual record of our progress.  This takes the frustration of progress out of the process because we remove the element of time.  It’s always hard to know where we are when we’re in the middle of something, especially when we have no record to look back on at where we started.  This record resolves that issue and gives our motivation a boost.

4.    Keep failing.  Not only are setbacks expected and inevitable, repeatedly failing is the greatest element in achieving your goal.  By recognizing and accepting failure we are reaffirming our commitment to achieving our goal because we keep trying; and each time we try a little bit harder.  If we never failed during the process of change then there would be no need to change at all.

5.    Reevaluate and adjust when necessary.  This final stage of change may seem like a copout, but how else would you know you’ve actually changed?  When we take a critical look at our progress, we might find the change we wanted to implement at the beginning is no longer there, or that we need to push ourselves harder towards achieving it, or even change our goal entirely.  After all, change is a constant, perpetual process that we will never finish.

Change happens not with one broad, overarching achievement, but rather through a series of consistently implemented, small actionable tasks.  While it is never a given simply because we want it, knowing the stages can help by removing some of the blocks and barriers thus making us more prepared and better able to succeed.

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

I am always curious to hear about your weekend wardrobe dilemmas and help make your work wardrobe pull double duty.  Email your questions, quandaries and conundrums to [email protected].  Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.

 

 

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.

 

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