How to motivate yourself is often described as something we either have or do not have. In reality we are motivated in different degrees and different ways for each and every aspect of our lives.

We are motivated to eat because we are hungry, we are motivated to sleep because we are tired but are we motivated to change our body shape? not all of us but some are. Learning how to motivate yourself to make a change can be a difficult and trying process.

I believe there are six movements of motivation that people go through when undertaking a change. You can quickly test these stages out by matching them to any change you have gone through yourself or a change you are thinking about making.

Phase 1. Pre Consideration

At this stage you have not even thought about changing and may be content where you are, or simply not contemplated that the change is possible.

Phase 2. Considering making a decision

You are thinking about change and part of you wants to change and part of you wants to stay as you are. You are ambivalent.

Phase 3. Making a Decision - How to motivate yourself

You have decided to change and are going to do something about it. You may still have some ambivalence but you are going to make an effort to change.

Phase 4. Begin taking action to change

You undertake work to bring about the change you want. This might be a programme of action, getting information, making choices or doing things differently.

Phase 5. Maintenance

At this stage you are maintaining your new behaviour. Often at first through a conscious effort, later it becomes your unconscious habitual behaviour.

Phase 6. Lapse

Sometimes called relapse, but this feels too much like failure. Everyone can have lapses from time to time. For some people this simply reminds them why they wanted to change and motivates them to continue with their new habit. For others it takes them back to the consideration stage with high levels of ambivalence that need to be worked through again. However lapse is not always failure, only a stage in the learning process of you learning how to motivate yourself and your movement of motivation.

Many people seem to move sequentially between the stages over a period of time. Others may move straight from considering to maintenance. Others will change their position back and forth in a more haphazard way. It all depends on the nature of the change in question and the person.

http://www.howtomotivateyourself.net by Steve Turner