It is important to evaluate where you are in your goal. If you struggle with meeting your improved health goals, perhaps working with a dietitian can help you. No matter what stage you are in, a dietitian can give you the tools to help move you to the next stage in change when you are ready. Another way to look at it is, maybe you have not quit one of your habits or reached one of your goals because you are not in the action stage yet.
 

Note, you can move up and down the stages of change and may slip back into preparedness stage from action stage. This does not make you unable to complete your goals but just means you have moved your stage of change for the time. 
 

The higher your confidence is, the higher you are in the stages of change. Confidence is often shaped by success and failures. When you succeed in something, your confidence goes up. This helps with moving forward, believing you can achieve goals and building confidence. 
 

When making your goals, make sure they are realistic, practical and doable to assist in building your confidence and moving you along the stages of change. See below for a detailed description of the stages of change and an example of a person in each stage.
 

Stages of Change Model - How we progress to make behavior changes
 

There are five stages of change a person goes through when making a decision to change behavior. The five stages are:

• Precontemplation - which is characterized by not knowing about the need to make a change. This stage generally precedes change by at least 6 months. Ex. There is no knowledge that cutting out soda may be beneficial to helping reach health goals.
•  Contemplation - this stage is characterized by becoming aware of the need for behavior change. Change is likely to occur within 6 months for individuals in this stage. Ex.  Person just learns it may help them reach their goals to reduce intake of sugar, calories and may even help with weight management.
• Preparedness - is characterized by the patient seeking help or information related to the change in behavior. Change in behavior will often occur within 30 days. Ex. An Individual has gathered information on ways to reduce soda intake by replacing it with water, flavored water, or any other calorie free beverages.
• Action - is a stage when the change has occurred for less than 6 months. Ex.  An individual is no longer consuming sodas.
• Maintenance - in this stage is characterized the new behavior has been practiced for more than six months and has replaced the old behavior.  Ex. The individual is no longer drinks sodas for longer than 6 months. The habit has already been broken.

For those in the first two stages, more barriers to action are perceived. The stage a person is in relates to their confidence and how important the change is to that person. 
 

Baylor Intern Ryan Reist