Stage One: Precontemplation

Hey guys,

Apologies for the lack of interaction. I had planned to make this a quick series on behaviour change with regular postings but these last two weeks have been CRAZY!

Life Update: The number of personal training clients I have has picked up nicely. Whether this is the result of people making a last attempt to get fit and shed a few lbs before the year is out or due to the fact that I’m more comfortable, confident and better able to communicate my passion and knowledge to people than when I first entered the industry I’m not sure, and neither am I concerned! I definitely feel like I’ve found my feet and hopefully my clients are confident in my ability to help them fulfil their needs.

Having said that, last week I was offered two part-time gym instructor/personal trainer positions at other locations. This is where I’m stressing and somewhat conflicted. On the one hand obtaining a reliable income each month will help immensely but on the flipside, to take either of the jobs means time away from my primary gym environment where I most want to succeed at a time when I feel like I’m just finding my way.  I’ve been so busy and haven’t truly had the time to sit and read through the paperwork detailing the terms of these jobs let alone discuss my options with Joe so stress is getting the better of me.

But that changes today. My first day off in 11 days – though I have still done emails and programmes – and I’m going to take the time to sort though everything and get back on track, to plan my diary and see how I can make this work. I’m usually an advocate for planning and organisation; it’s what keeps me sane!

To top it off, we’re redecorating pretty much the entire house. As above, achieving order and neatness is my saviour but for the past month now the house has been turned upside down! Lots of packing things away (read: shoving things wherever they’ll fit) so they don’t get covered in plaster or paint, many late nights tidying up after an evening of DIY and just a general air of chaos having descended on my humble abode and I’m feeling all out of whack. I should be grateful and think of the bigger picture but when in the midst of destruction, it’s not so easy.

But back to behaviour change.

The first stage in altering behaviours comes before you’ve even planned to bring about change.

Stage one: Precontemplation.

If you’re in this first stage you may be justifying a less-than-healthy behaviour by hiding from the truth or denying that there is any issue at all. Chances are as a precontemplator you have experienced failure when trying to make a change, be it going to the gym or cutting out excessive junk food, which has left you feeling demoralised and unmotivated to try again. Low self-efficacy, in other words a lack of belief in your ability to achieve something, is a key barrier here but there are most definitely steps you can take to move on in the behaviour change model…

• Do your research. Think you should change up and improve your diet but don’t see the point? Do a little digging and you’ll learn that a healthy, balanced diet works wonders for your mental wellbeing, your skin, your mood, your sleep patterns and demeanour, not just your waist line. In doing so you’ll most likely stumble upon the detrimental long-term issues relating to sustaining an unhealthy diet.
• Make a pros and cons list for changing your behaviour. If the pros for change outweigh the cons, then what exactly are you waiting for?
• Set yourself up for just one small success. Achieving something, no matter how big or small, can help you improve your self-confidence and self-belief