Change is difficult. And since we are emotional beings, we will go through a range of feelings when we are striving to make a positive change.
The emotional change cycle is concept that applies to anything in life. It could be fitness, relationships, business, school, learning a new skill or anything else.
That’s why it’s a great way to become self-aware of how you approach change. We go through 5 stages in the cycle.
Stage #1) Excitement
This is when you start something new. Our brain rewards us with a rush of dopamine. We are giddy and ready to begin! But this can backfire on us in a future stage. More on that later!
Stage #2) Difficulty
Eventually all new things become difficult. This is when a new relationship end the “honeymoon stage”. Or learning a new instrument becomes hours and hours of practice. A new job starts to become monotonous. Everything in life has difficulty at some point.
Stage #3) The Valley of Despair
This is where the difficult hits max level. Things get REALLY HARD on your emotionally. This is when you feel like tapping out and giving up. Our mind remembers the rush of dopamine from stage 1 and sadly this is where people get caught in repeating stages 1-3 forever. They never get to stage 4.
Stage #4) Commitment
This is when you follow through even when the results aren’t showing up. You workout even when the scale isn’t budget. You eat healthy because of how it makes you feel not to chase a number. You concentrate on your activities, not the outcomes.
Stage #5) Success
Ah the promise land. You achieve the goal you wanted. And now that you know what it took, when you start something new, you have a higher chance of success than most. Now you know the formula and repeat it on any goal you set. In addition to achieving your goal, you have a new identity as someone who sticks with things.
FitFam, I shared this concept with you because I want you to become self-aware of your history. They say “a lesson will be repeated until it’s learned.”
I want you to see what it’s like to succeed but you have to journey through all of these stages to get there.