I remember the times I went to the hair salon hoping for a new look.  I wanted something quick and drastic, creating a big change for my appearance and my identity.  After some creative work by my stylist, I would leave feeling like a new woman.  Only not.  People would comment and notice at first, it would be exciting to look in the mirror and see something different, but I was still , well, me.  I still had the same work stress, money stress, and thoughts about my life and who I was.  And even my hair tended to revert back to the way it was, never looking quite the same as the day I left the salon.

Change is a process and it takes time.  Whether it’s gearing up to make a change or reacting to a life circumstance that has changed, we go through various phases of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  Our experience evolves as we go about our days.  I find it helpful for myself and in working with people to acknowledge this dynamic process.  Viewing change as a journey rather than an event can help us assess where we are in the moment in relation to something we are working toward.  It can also help us see what we may need at any point in time that may be different from what we needed at a previous point.  Viewing change as a process helps create a path, or a road map, of sorts, and helps us see progress.  We prepare, we take steps toward a change, we begin to incorporate our change, and then we have to integrate and maintain our changes.

Experts in the study of change often use the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM), developed by James O’Prochaska and his colleagues, to classify stages of change.  The first stage is known as Pre-contemplation, during which a person is mostly unaware that change is needed.  Next is the Contemplation Phase, in which a person begins to recognize a need for change and considers what it would take to make the change.  In the Preparation Phase, people set an intention to change and begin to make small steps, followed by the Action Phase, when specific overt steps are taken to modify behavior.  Finally, the Maintenance Phase involves activities to sustain the change and prevent relapse to old behavior.  By recognizing what stage we are in when working toward a change, we can help to identify ways to support ourselves.

But most change tends not to go in such a clear linear fashion.  One woman in a weight management group made us laugh in agreement when she commented that she is in the Action Phase most mornings, but by the time dinner is over and dessert is on the table, she is back “Pre-Contemplating.”  Lasting change involves the recognition that we cycle through these stages in various ways, and that we can be in multiple stages for different changes we want to make.  By viewing change as a process, however, it helps us stay mindful of our movement toward or away from the change we intend to make and helps us assess what factors make change easier or more challenging.

Change changes.  Even when we cut our hair or have our last cigarette, life goes on.  Hair re-grows and nicotine cravings pop up.  By acknowledging the dynamic aspect of change, we can best give ourselves the perspective we need to stay on track for the long term.  Change is a lifestyle, not a haircut.