counting the cost of change
We all know that we should make healthy choices like eating right and exercising, however, knowing that we should do something doesn’t mean that we will actual do it. We may see a video of a super fit person advertising a new exercise routine. Our first thought is “I want to look like that, so I need to do that!”
Before we set a goal to do something new, like beginning an new exercise routine, we need to inspect our inner motivation. Are we ready to make the change necessary? Are we prepared to sustain the change?
There are five stages of behavior change: pre-contemplation, contemplation preparation, action, and sustainment. Often, we launch into something new without counting the costs. This may result in buying a new fitness gadget that we use once and then throw in the closet, never to be seen again.
Jesussaid in Luke 14:28 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first, having sat down, count the cost, whether he has the things for its completion”.
If we want lasting change, we must count the cost before we start to build a new lifestyle.
Before setting a lofty new goal, we must ask ourselves these questions:
Pre-contemplation:
Am I thinking about exercise regularly or it is someone else’s idea? Did the idea come from my social media feed or something I really want to do?
If exercise is something that you are not even thinking about, don’t go any further. Focus on another area of health that you have been thinking about first. Don’t try to do everything at once.
Contemplation:
If beginning a new exercise regimen has been on your mind, you are ready to start the change process. Move the next step.
Preparation:
Have I started preparing myself to start an exercise routine?
If you have bought new shoes or looked through your clothes to pick out something you could sweat in, move to the next step. If not, go back to contemplation stage and think about it more until you are ready to prepare.
Action:
Am I ready to set a date to start my new exercise routine?
If yes, set a start date.
If not, spend more timing preparing.
Sustainment:
It takes 3 months for our brains to hardwire a new behavior. Keep going.
If you fall back into a old habit, just start again.