Dear readers and friends,
Even today a coaching article, let's say a first summary and model to follow after all the articles and exercises brought to your attention. THE CYCLE OF CHANGE summarizes the six essential steps that effective "self-changers" occur and take . This article also has the function of helping if accompanied by sincere introspection, because as I always repeat: no one can lie to themselves and it is useless to make fun of yourself. These articles stimulate self-understanding, acceptance, change where you can and above all love yourself. As in every Life Coaching context we are examining, there are only small explanations and many questions. Finding these answers is our task, discovering ourselves to then improve ourselves and loving ourselves for who we are is the ultimate goal.
CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) focuses on changing a person's thoughts and actions which in turn changes their feelings and behaviors.
There are generally six phases in the cycle of change or cognitive behavioral therapy CBT:
1. Evaluation: Evaluate what is wrong and what our current cognitive process is.
2. Reconceptualization: working and exploring your experience differently.
3. Skill acquisition: learning to deal with problems, for example: examining thoughts and beliefs, exploring which are logical and which are fear-based ('thought monitoring').
4. Consolidation of skills: this is where the road begins and the principles apply.
5. Maintenance: working on ourselves until the new skills become habit and routine.
6. Follow up: Address any issues that arise and evaluate growth/progress/regression.
1. Evaluation: Evaluate what is wrong and what our current cognitive process is
CBT is a goal-oriented therapeutic focus, which means that evaluating what is "wrong" is not about allowing ourselves to think we are "wrong," but rather about identifying what is wrong with the way we are approaching things. our current goals and what we believe is “wrong” with how we feel and behave.
There are some people who deny certain parts of themselves that need to be addressed, which function as a major contributing factor to why they feel “wrong.” Our inner work is to not feel ashamed or defensive about these parts of us, but to understand that:
We will never be free from a self-destructive loophole unless we face and recognize this part of us and the role it is playing in our “wrongness.”
In this phase we identify whether the objectives we are pursuing are in line with our values or not.
2. Reconceptualization: working and exploring your experience differently
Many of us focus on the negatives. Once we are aware of our problems, we become more aware of the personal consequences of our habits and attitudes towards our problem. During this phase, we must learn to manage our indecision and mixed emotions towards ourselves and consider the possibility of change.
Our goal is not to make negative emotions disappear, but to look at our circumstances, identity, goals and situation from an alternative perspective to reevaluate ourselves.
3. Skill acquisition: to learn to deal with problems, for example: examining thoughts and beliefs, exploring which are logical and which are fear-based (“thought monitoring”)
We must learn what techniques to use when we have to work on ourselves. This means gaining skills in how to monitor your thoughts, ask yourself meaningful questions, how to improve your communication and challenge your perceptions. Many of the articles written on this blog have precisely this function: to learn techniques to help monitor thoughts.
4. Consolidation of skills: this is where the road begins and the principles apply.
Moving towards what we are preparing requires audacity and a huge commitment of energy. This phase requires us to leave our comfort zone behind and embrace the uncertainty that accompanies a step into the unknown.
Deciding to change is one thing, taking concrete actions to bring about change is another.
5. Maintenance: working on ourselves until the new skills become habit and routine.
This is where the new processing skills we have learned (like the ABC model) become habitual for us. This part of the process requires grit, patience, perseverance, tenacity and hard work. This phase of change in character development is likely to fail unless we take ownership of the process and are willing to accept setbacks, setbacks, and successes alike.
While taking action is an incredible first step, old habits will find a way back into our lives if we don't commit to continuous improvement, growth, and development.
Newly acquired change is a fragile thing; the temptation to quit can seem overwhelming at this stage. Therefore, it may take a lot of planning and preparation to complete this stage. We need to set goals, do homework, plan an action plan and prioritize them.
6. Follow up: Address any issues that arise and evaluate growth/progress/regression
With a monthly routine we should stop for a moment and check our progress on the cycle of change. In the event of a relapse, we may want to return to the reconceptualization phase, to give ourselves time to reflect, to adapt, to adjust, to understand what went wrong, before we spring back into action, on stage once again.
Effective “self-changers” can go through these six stages multiple times before completing the cycle of change without any relapse.
Change can be a complicated process and committing to positive changes can be laborious and stressful, but we must remember that the pain of change is still less than the pain of staying the same and the potential benefits can be enormous.
If we plan carefully and build a solid foundation for change, implementing change can be much more comfortable and more likely to be successful.
Change is an inevitable part of life. Understanding these six stages of change can help us better help ourselves and others. If we want to facilitate change in others, a sense of urgency, a compelling vision of what change looks like, and a commitment to hard work will spur the momentum that makes change part of everyday life.
This summary article on the cycle of change must be supported and implemented by the other articles and techniques explained previously in my blog. Obviously you cannot replace an article or a series of articles with an expert and professional in the sector, so if you need particular help do not hesitate to contact the staff available to do so.
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