Contemplation: The 2nd Stage of Self Change
Meredith Whelan
March 8, 2005

This is the second installation of a series of articles on the stages of change based on the work of James Prochaska, PhD, John Norcross, PhD, and Carlo DiClemente, PhD. What is important about this approach is that it pairs helpful strategies with the stages of change during which those strategies will be most effective and it recognizes that all of the stages of change are important for long-term success.  Knowing the stage you are in is a key to successful change.

Previously, we discussed the stage of precontemplation, during which an individual has no intention of changing a current behavior and may be in denial or unaware of a need for change. The goal for a precontemplator is to raise their awareness of the issue and become a contemplator, not to move directly toward action, per se.

The second stage of change is contemplation whereby a person acknowledges that they have a problem and begins to think seriously about solving it.  Contemplators work to understand the problem and its causes and to consider possible solutions.  Usually the time frame for action is within the next six months, although exactly what the change will entail may be unclear.  Contemplators typically have not yet made a commitment to change.  They may well be weighing the pros and cons of staying with the familiar vs. engaging with the unknown.  Often contemplators feel some anxiety or distress about the issue.

There are a few pitfalls to be aware of here.  It is possible to get stuck in "chronic contemplation" and keep putting off any action.  Typical traps include searching for absolute certainty with endless attempts at understanding the problem prior to making a change; substituting worry for working; waiting for the "magic moment" when change will be easy i.e. "when I'm less stressed…" or "when the kids are older…"; and wishful thinking that the problem will simply go away.  Keeping these traps in mind will help you assess whether you are getting stuck in contemplation.

That being said, it is important not to rush the stage of contemplation.  Premature action can lead to failure that will actually forestall true change.  During contemplation, try the following strategies to make this stage more fruitful: Visualize life with and without the change. Where will you be in five years if you don’t make the change? Do a self-assessment about how the change would affect your life.  Consider a trial period of the new behavior.  Consider other's reactions to the change and what that might be like for you. Make a list of your own self-sabotaging messages and respond to each one.  The goal of contemplation is to understand the problem, consider all the implications of the change and to resolve the majority of your ambivalence about the change.  Successful self-changers honor contemplation as fertile ground for sowing the seeds of change.

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