Linear progression is a possible but relatively rare phenomenon. In fact, people who initiate change begin by proceeding from contemplation to preparation to action to maintenance. Most, however, slip up at some point, returning to the contemplation, or sometimes even the precontemplation stage, before renewing their efforts. The average successful self-changer recycles several times. Most people who quit smoking, for example, report three or four serious attempts before they succeed; New Year’s resolutions are typically made for five consecutive years or more before resolute changers achieve
...more
