We don't have to be ready to make a change to actually make a change. Think of all the ways you have used this as an excuse to procrastinate on one thing or another.
For example, I'm just not ready to clean my closets. First, I don't have the boxes and bags needed to accomplish this task (and, yes, I am aware that these are available in a variety of stores, large and small, for a small price, so no need to remind me). Second, I just don't feel mentally ready to deal with the chaos, the mess, the sorting and deciding what to keep and what to toss and, frankly, until I am, there's just no point in doing it.
Is this working at all? My Wife says it's nonsense!
Whenever we talk about making a lifestyle change, there's an implication that you have to be Ready to Change or maybe that you should be READY TO CHANGE. I guess I've always believed that, that we're supposed to be ready to make a change in order to quit smoking, but what scientists have discovered is that your willingness doesn't always predict how successful you’ll be in getting started or even how well you'll stick to a program.
In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, EXperts spent some time debunking myths about obesity, one presumption being that we must be ready to change. But, after looking at five weight loss trials with almost 4,000 participants, they found that people lost weight regardless of readiness.
They make an interesting point, suggesting that, "...people voluntarily choosing to enter weight-loss programs are, by definition, at least minimally ready to engage in the behaviors required to lose weight." And if you are reading this, then you are minimally aware that smoking doesn’t fit into your lifestyle as well as it used to and are ready to engage in behaviors required to free yourself from Nicotine Addiction.
I think a lot of us use this as an EXcuse to procrastinate. “I’ll quit some day, I’m just not ready to go on that diet or start exercising or quit smoking. I just don't feel ready to organize the closets and take out the garbage.
The fact is, we can start exercising or changing our diet or planning our quit smoking program or...ahem...clean out the closets whether we're ready or not. We'll get the same results and, often, the action comes before the desire. In fact, just taking a small action - Taking that walk, eating that apple, logging into BecomeanEX, buying those boxes and trash bags is an act of willingness, isn't it?
What do you think? Do you use 'readiness to change' as an EXcuse to procrastinate a change you need to make or a task you should do?
