Ten Tips on Building  Motivation to Change

1. Choose a Target Behavior

For successful behavior change, it's best to focus on one behavior at a time. Choose a behavior that is important to you and that you are strongly motivated to change. 

2. Gather Information About Your Target Behavior

Take a close look at what your target behavior means to your health, now and in the future. Sources for information: your health care provider, non-profit health organizations such as the American Heart Association, the internet or written materials.

3. Set SMART Goals 

For your behavior change program to succeed, you must set meaningful, realistic goals. In addition to an ultimate goal, set some intermediate goals and milestones that you can strive for on the way to your final objective. It is best to smart small and build on your successes.

4. Reward Yourself!

Make a list of objects, activities, and events you can use as rewards for achieving the goals of your behavior change program. Reward yourself for your successes.  You deserve it!

5. Break Your Behavior Chains

Start out by changing one behavior that interferes with your goal. 

Some general strategies for breaking behavior chains include the following: 

• Control or eliminate environmental cues that provoke the behavior. Go out for an ice cream cone instead of buying a half gallon for your freezer.

• Change behaviors or habits that are linked to your target behavior. If you always smoke in your car when you drive to work, try taking public transportation instead.

• Add new cues to your environment to trigger your new behavior. Prepare easy-to-grab healthy snacks and have them visible throughout the day. Keep your exercise clothes and equipment in a visible location.

6. Complete a Contract for Behavior Change 

Your next step in creating a successful behavior change program is to complete and sign a behavior change contract. Your contract should include details of your program and indicate your commitment to changing your behavior.

7. Build Motivation and Commitment 

Why are you making this change?  Make a list of the benefits and post them where you can see them everyday.

8. Develop Realistic Self-Talk

Take a closer look at your current pattern of self-talk. Keep track of negative self-talk, especially as it relates to your target behavior.  Think of better responses and use them!

9. Involve the People Around You

Take note of how other people influence your target behavior and your efforts to change. For example, do you always skip exercising when you're with certain people? Do you always drink or eat too much when you socialize with certain friends? Are friends and family members offering you enthusiastic support for your efforts to change your behavior, or do they make jokes about your program? Make a plan of how you will interact with others' responses to your efforts.

10. Prepare for Relapse 

If you maintain your new behavior for at least 6 months, your chances of lifetime success are greatly increased. However, you may find yourself sliding back into old habits at some point. Try not to feel defeated if you lapse. The best thing you can do is to renew your commitment and continue with your program.

Presented by Carla Culley, MPH
RRTC Health and Wellness Consortium, www.healthwellness.org
Adapted from: Fahey, Behavior Change Workbook, Mayfield Publishing, Mountain View, CA

Support for this Web cast is provided by the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) as part of its initiative to promote greater use of disability research findings by consumers, their families, service providers, and other non-researcher stakeholders.  Specific NIDRR project support comes from RIIL (Research Information for Independent Living), and RTC on Health & Wellness. NIDRR is part of the U.S. Department of Education, and no endorsement of the opinions expressed as part of this Web cast by the Department should be inferred.