It’s that time of year again. The New Year brings a wave of fresh starts and ambitious resolutions. You’re excited, determined, and ready to make this year different. But maybe you’ve noticed a familiar pattern—by February, that initial motivation starts to fade, and old habits quietly creep back in.
The truth is, meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight, and without the right tools, even the best intentions can fall apart. That’s where the Stages of Change Workbook comes in. This resource is designed to help you navigate the ups and downs of creating lasting change, making it easier to set realistic goals, track your progress, and stay committed to the changes that matter most to you.
In this blog, we’ll explore how the Stages of Change model and workbook can support your journey toward meaningful, lasting success. Whether you’re working on personal growth, improving your finances, or building stronger relationships, these strategies will meet you exactly where you are in your change journey and help you move forward with confidence.
Understanding Your Journey Through the Stages of Change
Change is rarely a straightforward process. If you’ve ever felt stuck, unmotivated, or unsure about how to move forward, you’re not alone. Change happens in stages, and it’s normal to cycle through different phases as you work toward your goals.
The Stages of Change model is like a map, helping you figure out where you are in your journey and what you can do to move forward.
Here’s an overview of the six stages and what they might look like for you:
Precontemplation: “I don’t think I need to change.”
At this stage, you might not see a problem with your current situation—or you may not even realize there’s room for improvement. Maybe others have pointed it out, but you’re not ready to consider it yet.
Example: You find yourself procrastinating on important tasks but don’t yet realize how it’s holding you back in your career or personal growth.
What to Do: Start reflecting on the bigger picture. Ask yourself: “What would happen if I stayed exactly where I am for the next year?”
Contemplation: “I think I want to change, but I’m not sure.”
Here, you’re starting to think about change, but you’re weighing the pros and cons. It might feel like you’re stuck on the fence—wanting the benefits of change but fearing the effort or sacrifices it might take.
Example: You’re debating whether to start saving money, knowing it would provide security, but you’re not ready to give up small luxuries like eating out or shopping.
What to Do: Write out the benefits and challenges of change. Seeing it on paper can help you understand what’s holding you back and what you have to gain.
Preparation: “I’m ready to start planning.”
In this stage, you’ve decided to make a change and are figuring out how to take those first steps. You might be researching strategies, setting small goals, or gathering the resources you need to succeed.
Example: You’ve decided to improve your work-life balance and are exploring ways to do so, like scheduling downtime or delegating tasks.
What to Do: Set small, actionable goals that feel manageable. For example, if you’re working on self-care, commit to just 10 minutes a day of something that helps you relax.
Action: “I’m making the change!”
This is where you’re putting your plan into motion. You’re actively working toward your goal and seeing progress. It’s an exciting phase, but it can also be challenging as you adjust to new habits.
Example: You’ve started practicing mindfulness every day to reduce stress or are setting boundaries with work to protect your personal time.
What to Do: Celebrate your wins, no matter how small! Track your progress and remind yourself why you started.
Maintenance: “I’m keeping it up.”
At this stage, you’re focused on sustaining the changes you’ve made. You’ve built new habits, but you’re also aware that challenges could arise, so you’re staying mindful and proactive.
Example: You’re consistently practicing gratitude to improve your relationships and making time to check in with loved ones.
What to Do: Reflect on your progress and identify triggers that could lead to setbacks. Having a plan in place can help you stay on track.
Relapse: “I slipped up, but I’m not giving up.”
Relapse isn’t failure—it’s part of the process. Life happens, and slipping back into old habits is normal. The key is to use these moments as opportunities to learn and recommit.
Example: You find yourself overspending after sticking to a budget for months. Instead of giving up, you take a step back to figure out what triggered the relapse and how to avoid it in the future.
What to Do: Be kind to yourself. Reflect on what went wrong and how you can adjust your plan moving forward.
By understanding these stages, you can take the pressure off yourself and focus on progress, not perfection. Change is a journey, and the Stages of Change Workbook is here to guide you every step of the way. Packed with exercises and tools for each stage, it’s designed to help you stay motivated and achieve the lasting results you’re working toward.
Stage 1: Precontemplation – Building Awareness
The journey to change begins with awareness. At this stage, you might not fully recognize that there’s a problem—or maybe you’re not sure if it’s worth the effort to change. You might feel comfortable in your routines, dismiss others’ feedback, or lack the motivation to try something new.
Does this sound familiar?
Scenario
You’re thinking about setting a New Year’s resolution to get more organized. You know things could run more smoothly, but you’ve always told yourself, “I’m just messy—it doesn’t bother me much.” Deep down, though, you feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with work deadlines, personal responsibilities, and the general chaos of life.
It’s not about suddenly changing everything—it’s about starting to ask yourself the right questions.
Reflecting with the Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook offers journaling prompts that help you gently explore your habits and whether change might be worth it. Try answering these questions:
“What would it mean to me if I stayed disorganized this year?”
“How would my life improve if I followed through with my goal?”
“When have I made small changes before, and how did that feel?”
These prompts aren’t about forcing you to change but helping you uncover what’s beneath the surface. Often, just thinking through these questions can shift your mindset from “This is just how I am” to “Maybe there’s something better waiting for me.”
What You Can Do Next
At this stage, it’s all about planting the seeds of awareness without putting too much pressure on yourself. Here are some gentle ways to start:
Ask yourself what could be different: “If I actually got organized this year, what would change for me?”
Observe your habits without judgment: Notice how being disorganized might be impacting your day-to-day life.
Celebrate small realizations: Even recognizing that your habits are causing stress is a huge step forward!
Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and it doesn’t need to happen all at once. By starting with reflection and building awareness, you’re already on your way to something better. The Stages of Change Workbook provides exercises and tools to guide you through this process, helping you explore your habits in a safe, supportive way.
Stage 2: Contemplation – Weighing the Pros and Cons
You’ve started thinking about making a change, but part of you feels torn. You can see how taking action could benefit your life, but staying the same feels easier and more comfortable. Sound familiar?
This is the Contemplation stage—a place where many people get stuck. You’re not alone in feeling this way, and it’s okay to take your time while you weigh your options. What’s important is to start exploring what’s holding you back and what you stand to gain.
Scenario
You’ve been thinking about saving money this year. Financial security and big goals—like buying a home or taking that dream vacation—are calling your name. But at the same time, you love your current spending habits, like spontaneous dinners out or splurging on treats that make life feel fun.
You might be saying to yourself, “I know saving would help me in the long run, but I don’t want to feel restricted.”
It’s okay to feel unsure. The key is to look at the big picture and start breaking it down into smaller, more manageable decisions.
Reflecting with the Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook includes a tool called the Decisional Balance Sheet, which helps you weigh the pros and cons of change in a simple, structured way. Here’s an example of how it might look:
Pros of Saving Money: Feeling more secure, planning for bigger goals, reducing financial stress.Cons of Saving Money: Feeling restricted, giving up spontaneous purchases, potential guilt if the plan isn’t perfect.
By writing these out, you can visualize the benefits and challenges of making a change. Often, seeing the big picture helps you realize the potential benefits outweigh the short-term sacrifices.
What You Can Do Next
At this stage, it’s all about reflecting and giving yourself permission to feel ambivalent. Here are some steps to try:
Ask yourself reflective questions:
“What would it feel like to have more financial security this year?”
“How might that change my stress levels or future opportunities?”
Focus on small wins:
“What’s one thing I could save for in the next couple of months that would still feel rewarding?”
Normalize your hesitation:
Remind yourself, “It’s okay to feel torn—this means I’m really thinking things through, which is an important first step.”
Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with tools like the Decisional Balance Sheet, you can build clarity and confidence. By reflecting on your options, you’re already making progress toward the next stage of your journey. The Stages of Change Workbook is here to support you with exercises like this one, designed to help you move forward with purpose and balance.
Stage 3: Preparation – Setting the Foundation for Change
You’ve made the decision to change—congratulations! 🎉 This is where the excitement and optimism kick in. You’re ready to start building the life you want, but now comes the tricky part: figuring out how to actually make it happen.
The Preparation stage is all about laying a strong foundation for your New Year’s resolutions. It’s where you map out your plan, set small goals, and gather the tools you need to make real progress.
Scenario
You’ve decided this is the year you’ll finally improve your work-life balance. You’ve realized that working late and skipping personal time has been draining your energy and well-being. Now, you’re brainstorming ways to set boundaries at work and carve out time for yourself, but it’s hard to know where to start or how to keep the momentum going.
Reflecting with the Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook includes tools like the Readiness Ruler, which can help you figure out how ready you are to take action and what steps to take next.
Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Ask yourself, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how ready do I feel to start setting work boundaries?” 2️⃣ Follow up with, “What would it take to move me just one step closer to a 10?”
By breaking it down this way, you can clarify your motivation, identify specific challenges, and create achievable first steps.
What You Can Do Next
At this stage, it’s all about setting yourself up for success. Here’s how to get started:
Break your goals into small steps:
Think about one simple boundary you could set this week—something manageable but meaningful. For example, committing to leaving work at a specific time each day.
Identify your resources:
What support do you need to stick to these changes? Maybe it’s scheduling downtime on your calendar or asking a friend to check in with you.
Build your confidence:
Remind yourself how far you’ve already come. You’ve recognized what needs to change, and now you’re taking action to make it happen!
The Stages of Change Workbook provides exercises like the Readiness Ruler and planning tools to help you organize your thoughts and take your first steps toward meaningful change. By focusing on small, achievable wins, you can build momentum and feel confident that you’re heading in the right direction.
Stage 4: Action – Making the Change Happen
This is it—you’re doing the work! The Action stage is where you’re actively making changes and starting to see progress toward your New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s building healthier habits, improving your mental well-being, or tackling a personal goal, this phase is exciting but can also be challenging.
The key to success here is consistency and learning how to navigate the bumps in the road.
Scenario
You’ve set a New Year’s resolution to practice mindfulness daily to manage stress and improve your mental well-being. You’ve started using a mindfulness app and committed to 10 minutes of meditation every morning.
But then life happens. A hectic workday or an overwhelming moment makes it hard to stick to your routine, and you start wondering if you’re doing enough.
Sound familiar?
Staying on Track with the Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook includes practical tools like Habit Trackers and Progress Logs to help you stay accountable and celebrate your wins.
Here’s how these tools work: ✅ Use a habit tracker to mark off each day you complete your mindfulness practice. Seeing those checkmarks build up is a powerful motivator! ✅ Reflect in a progress log to assess how your efforts are making a difference:
“What worked well this week?”
“What made it challenging to stick to my routine?”
“How did I feel after practicing mindfulness?”
These tools not only keep you focused but also give you the space to recognize what’s going well and troubleshoot where you might need support.
What You Can Do Next
At this stage, it’s about effort over perfection. Here are some tips to help you stay on track:
Celebrate your wins:
Even completing your mindfulness practice four days in a week is progress! Acknowledge how far you’ve come.
Troubleshoot challenges:
Ask yourself, “What tends to derail my routine on busy days?” and brainstorm simple fixes, like setting a reminder or finding a quiet moment during lunch.
Reinforce your confidence:
Remind yourself, “I’ve already prioritized this goal despite challenges. I can keep building on that progress!”
Every small step counts, and this phase is about building momentum toward lasting change. The Stages of Change Workbook helps you focus on progress rather than perfection with tools like habit trackers and reflection exercises, keeping you motivated and on track for success.
Stage 5: Maintenance – Sustaining Progress
You’ve made it this far—congratulations! 🎉 The Maintenance stage is all about keeping the positive changes you’ve worked so hard to build. By now, your new habits are starting to feel more natural, but it’s still important to stay mindful.
Life can get busy, and old habits might try to sneak back in. That’s why this stage focuses on staying consistent, spotting triggers, and reinforcing your commitment to your goals.
Scenario
You’ve been sticking to your New Year’s resolution to spend more quality time with your family. Weekly family game nights have become a favorite tradition, and you’ve set boundaries around work emails during dinner.
But lately, old habits are creeping back in. You’ve stayed late at work a few times, and game nights have been skipped when life gets hectic. You’re starting to feel the pull of your old routines.
This doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it’s just a normal part of the process.
Reflecting with the Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook helps you stay on track with Reflection Sheets and Trigger Identification exercises. These tools encourage you to revisit what’s working, spot challenges, and adjust your plan when needed.
Try reflecting with these prompts:
“What has worked well in maintaining my progress?”
“What triggers tend to pull me back into old habits?”
“How can I reinforce my boundaries in challenging situations?”
Once you’ve identified the triggers, use the workbook’s action planning tools to create a strategy for staying on track. For example:
If work emails during dinner are a challenge, set a clear rule to leave your phone in another room during meals.
If busy weeks make game nights hard to schedule, pick a simpler activity, like a family movie night.
What You Can Do Next
Here’s how to keep your momentum going:
Reinforce your progress:
Remind yourself how far you’ve come! Ask, “What’s been the most rewarding part of this change?”
Manage triggers:
Reflect on what’s making it harder to stick to your goals and adjust as needed. For example, “What could make family time easier to prioritize when life gets busy?”
Create accountability:
Ask for support from your loved ones. Could a family member help you stay committed to game night or remind you about boundaries?
The key to success at this stage is staying proactive and celebrating every small win. The Stages of Change Workbook provides reflection exercises and action-planning tools to help you maintain your progress and handle challenges with confidence.
Stage 6: Relapse – Learning and Recommitting
You started strong, stayed consistent, and made progress toward your goals. But then life got busy, and old habits crept back in. Now, you might feel like you’ve failed.
Here’s the truth: relapse is a natural part of the change process. It doesn’t erase your progress, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t move forward again. This stage is an opportunity to learn from setbacks, adjust your plan, and recommit to your goals with even more clarity and determination.
Scenario
You set a New Year’s resolution to exercise regularly and maintained it for the first few months. But then a busy season at work threw off your routine. Weeks went by without a workout, and now you feel guilty, wondering if you can ever stick to your resolution again.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Relapse happens to everyone, and the key is to see it not as failure but as a chance to reflect and refocus.
Rebuilding with the Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook offers tools to help you process setbacks and create a plan to move forward:
Reflection Prompts:
What led to this setback?
What strategies worked for me before, and how can I use them again?
What lessons can I take from this experience to avoid similar challenges in the future?
Recommitment Planning:
Outline small, achievable steps to get back on track, like starting with two workouts a week instead of daily.
These exercises help you regain confidence, identify what works for you, and move forward with a practical plan.
What You Can Do Next
Here’s how to turn a setback into a stepping stone:
Normalize the experience: Remind yourself, “This happens to everyone—it doesn’t erase the progress I’ve made.”
Focus on what you can learn: Ask yourself, “What made it harder to stick to my goal recently, and how can I address that?”
Recommit with small steps: Start with something manageable. For example, if daily workouts feel overwhelming, set a goal to move your body twice a week and build from there.
Relapse isn’t the end of your journey—it’s just a moment to pause, reflect, and restart. The Stages of Change Workbook provides a structured way to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth, helping you move forward with greater resilience and insight.
Addressing Resistance
Even with the best intentions, it’s normal to feel resistance when working toward your New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’re skeptical about whether change is possible, worried about failing, or overwhelmed by the idea of even starting. These feelings are valid—and they don’t mean you should give up.
Resistance is just another part of the change process. By addressing it with curiosity and practical solutions, you can move forward with confidence.
Common Objections and How to Overcome Them
“I don’t have time for this workbook.” That makes sense—life is busy! The Stages of Change Workbook is designed to fit into your schedule, even if you only have five minutes. Small steps still make progress.
Start with quick tools like the Readiness Ruler or brief reflection prompts. They’re easy to complete and can have a big impact.
“This feels overwhelming.” Change can feel like a lot, especially when you’re just getting started. But you don’t have to tackle everything at once.
Focus on one small step. For example, use a habit tracker to celebrate small wins like completing just one activity this week.
“I’ve tried before and failed.” It’s frustrating when things haven’t worked out in the past, but every attempt teaches you something valuable.
Use reflection exercises to look at what worked before and what didn’t. These insights can help you build a stronger, more effective plan this time around.
How to Move Past Resistance
If you’re feeling stuck, here are a few ways to make things feel more manageable:
Validate your feelings: Remind yourself it’s okay to feel frustrated or hesitant. Change is a journey, and resistance is a natural part of it.
Embrace flexibility: The workbook is designed to adapt to your needs. You can go at your own pace and focus on what feels achievable right now.
Celebrate small wins: Even tiny steps, like completing one page or making a single change, add up to big progress over time.
Resistance isn’t a roadblock—it’s an opportunity to pause, reflect, and adjust your approach. The Stages of Change Workbook is here to guide you, offering simple and flexible tools to help you overcome barriers and stay focused on your goals.
Practical Next Steps for Using the Stages of Change Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook is designed to fit into your life easily, helping you tackle your New Year’s resolutions with structured tools and activities that make the process manageable. Here’s how you can use it effectively to support your journey toward meaningful change.
How to Get Started
1. Identify your goals: Start by reflecting on what you want to achieve this year. Use the workbook’s reflection sheets to explore what these goals mean to you and how they align with your values.
Example: “What would achieving this goal look like for me? How would it change my day-to-day life?”
2. Match activities to your stage of change: Every stage of change requires different strategies, and the workbook offers tools tailored to each phase.
Example: If you’re still weighing the pros and cons, try the Decisional Balance Sheet to gain clarity.
Example: If you’re actively working on a goal, use habit trackers to monitor your progress and celebrate wins.
3. Reflect on your progress: Set aside time each week to review what you’ve learned from the workbook exercises and how they’ve impacted your thoughts or habits.
Example: “What went well this week? What challenges did I face, and how can I adjust moving forward?”
Keep Building Momentum
The Stages of Change Workbook is not a one-and-done tool—it’s designed to grow with you as you move through different stages of change.
Revisit activities as needed: If you find yourself stuck or facing a setback, return to earlier exercises to refocus and regain clarity.
Example: If you experience a relapse, revisit reflection sheets to identify triggers and create a recommitment plan.
Customize the workbook to your needs: Focus on the exercises that align with your specific goals.
Example: If you’re working on financial habits, you might prioritize activities related to values clarification and habit tracking.
By using the Stages of Change Workbook, you gain a clear path forward, no matter where you are in your journey. These tools are here to help you stay focused, motivated, and ready to take meaningful, sustainable steps toward your goals.
The Stages of Change Workbook
The Stages of Change Workbook isn’t just a tool—it’s your companion on the journey to meaningful change. Whether you’re working on personal growth, building healthier habits, or tackling a long-standing challenge, this workbook provides the structure and support you need to make progress with clarity and confidence.
What’s Inside the Workbook?
Stage-Specific Activities: Tailored exercises for every stage of change—Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse. These include reflection prompts, habit trackers, readiness rulers, and decisional balance sheets to guide you step by step.
Practical Tools: User-friendly worksheets designed to help you break down goals, monitor your progress, and identify triggers so you can stay focused.
Flexible Use: Adaptable for self-guided exploration, whether you’re carving out time during your busy day or diving deeper into your New Year’s resolutions on a quiet weekend.
How Can It Help You?
Change can feel overwhelming, but this workbook simplifies the process and helps you take it one step at a time:
Break down your goals: Focus on what matters most and set realistic, actionable plans.
Stay accountable: Use habit trackers and reflection sheets to monitor your progress and celebrate your wins.
Navigate challenges: Learn to identify and overcome triggers with tools designed to keep you moving forward, even when life gets tough.
This workbook is more than just a guide—it’s a resource you can revisit anytime you need to refocus, recommit, or reflect on how far you’ve come.
Your Next Step
The Stages of Change Workbook is your go-to resource for transforming New Year’s resolutions into lasting change. It’s designed to help you stay motivated, tackle challenges, and build habits that stick.
Change is never easy, but it’s always possible. By meeting yourself where you are and using tools tailored to your journey, you can take meaningful steps toward your goals. There may be setbacks along the way, but this workbook is here to help you turn those moments into opportunities for growth and resilience.
Gentle Observation: It’s easy to overlook the progress you’re making, especially when it feels slow or challenging. But every small step forward is a step worth celebrating. This year, remind yourself that change doesn’t happen all at once—it happens one moment, one decision, and one effort at a time.
You have the ability to create a turning point in your life, filled with growth, resilience, and success. The journey may not be perfect, but it’s yours to make, and the Stages of Change Workbook is here to support you every step of the way.
Jemma (Gentle Observations Team)
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