Turn Insight Into Action: ProactiveChange.com/habits

Stage 5:
You keep working at it

"Maintenance"

You've been at it for a while -- several months, half a year, more... You feel good about what you've done. The temptation is to believe these new habits are so ingrained that you no longer have to pay attention to what you do.

This is when a relapse happens. You had stopped smoking, or stopped drinking, and you think you can handle having a cigarette or a drink in a social situation. You were eating healthy, and you think a donut in times of stress is OK once in a while... You get my drift...

An important part of making lasting changes is not taking these changes for granted. Keep working at it.

What it takes to make this stage work:
- Changes are more likely to last when your whole lifestyle supports them (e.g. spending time with people who smoke or drink a lot is not going to make it easy for you to stop)
- Being aware that the temptation to relapse is normal will help you better deal with relapses.
- When you do have a relapse, remember that it's not an "all or nothing" proposition: you have not failed, you have just had one relapse; keep working at it.

The next stage is "Done".

Self-Leadership: a proactive alternative to self-discipline

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