Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions- - Couverture rigide

Norcross Ph.D., John C.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1451657617 ISBN 13 : 9781451657616

Editeur : Simon & Schuster, 2012

Synopsis

Book by Norcross John C Loberg Kristin

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Changeology
INTRODUCTION

CHANGEOLOGY: WHAT IT IS AND
WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU

Let’s begin with the end in mind: think of one, maybe two, things that you’d like to change in yourself, something you really want to modify about your behavior. If you’re like most people, it doesn’t take long to come up with something. Perhaps a laundry list of goals and ambitions rushes through your mind, some harder to achieve than others. Maybe a quick smile breaks out on your face when you proudly recall a goal you have recently realized. Perhaps, too, you feel a brief pang of guilt for not trying to change certain things or a fleeting sense of dismay because your previous attempts have proven unsuccessful. All of these complicated feelings are part of the universal constellation of emotions toward change.

Now take a deep breath and consider the following: whether you’re hoping to stop smoking or gambling, commit to exercising more hours a week (maybe run a marathon), eliminate fast food and bike to work, or learn a new skill that will earn you a promotion, following the scientific program outlined in this book can dramatically increase your chance of success—without drugs or other types of formal treatment. This proven program shows you exactly how to execute the steps necessary to change on your own. And best of all: you can experience lasting results within 90 days.

Sound too good to be true? Much in the way Elisabeth Kübler-Ross distinguished stages of grief, my colleagues and I have identified five distinct stages of behavior change. This is hardly an inconsequential finding; these stages, which I’ve simplified to just 5 straightforward steps, reflect three decades of scientific research and millions of dollars in funding. Finally, this well-documented program for successful change is accessible to everyone in this practical book.

From chronic addictions to minor habits, the range of behaviors that we can change is vast but the process of change is the same. In other words, the steps an overweight individual has to take to lose pounds permanently will be the same as those taken by a workaholic seeking to cut back on time spent in the office so he can spend more time with his family. Granted, as each person passes through the steps, he or she will have different goals, but the overall experience will be astonishingly similar.

How do I know this for sure? That’s what part of this book is going to reveal to you; I’ll be detailing what I’ve learned as a clinical psychologist and university professor helping tens of thousands of people—in both research and clinical settings—achieve permanent changes.

A LITTLE HISTORY

I was there at the beginning. Not at the creation of the world, mind you, but at the start of defining one of the most effective and celebrated systems ever for changing human behavior: the Stages of Change. Before I detail exactly how you’ll create successful change in your life, let me take a few moments to introduce myself and provide the backstory. It will help you understand just how different Changeology is from any other program that you might have tried in the past.

It all started in 1980. Jimmy Carter was in the White House, and Dallas was flickering across the nation’s TV screens. I had just moved to Rhode Island to earn my doctorate and to work with Dr. James O. Prochaska on his first National Institutes of Health grant to study self-change—how people modify their behavior without professional treatment. He and one of his recent graduates, Dr. Carlo C. DiClemente, were studying how a thousand people stopped smoking on their own. Little did any of us imagine that those early studies would lead to revolutionary advances in understanding how people change their behavior on their own.

Five years later, I had my clinical psychology PhD in hand and an internship at Brown University Medical School under my belt. I accepted a professorship at the University of Scranton, nestled in the rolling foothills of the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania. I continued my research into self-change and psychotherapy, much of it in collaboration with Jim Prochaska.

In the 1990s, the research got really interesting as research assistants and I conducted three nationally publicized studies that tracked New Year’s resolutions. We learned, scientifically speaking, what predicted some resolvers’ success and others’ failures. Our investigations also looked at change in psychotherapists—the most educated and experienced change agents. How do the experts change themselves?

After the new millennium, my comrades and I conducted another series of studies—a dozen, in fact—to identify the effectiveness of myriad self-help resources. We separated the chaff from the wheat among thousands of self-help books, autobiographies, films, and websites. We managed to determine what kind of self-help resources work and what constitutes ineffective, unscientific pabulum.

Today, there is a staggering number of published studies that have been done on the stages of change—more than two thousand and counting. Our work has added to this undeniably impressive body of research, which has enjoyed the support of $80 million in federal grant funding. Although the early studies concentrated on addictions, such as smoking, drinking, and overeating, over the years they have expanded to include three dozen challenges that millions of people face in daily living, including distressed relationships, anxiety, getting ahead at work, troubling finances, depression, and procrastination.

The program resulting from this research works across a variety of problems, across countries and cultures, and across the spectrum of healing. It’s been used successfully by individuals, couples, families, organizations, and entire health systems worldwide. What’s more, it’s been proven to work whether you’re attempting to change on your own or are armed with a self-help book, assisted by a formal support group, treated by a psychologist, bolstered by medication, or any combination thereof.

Our change system has a documented track record of success. It has guided tens of thousands of research participants and psychotherapy patients to lives filled with greater health and happiness. That same research can now guide you through the labyrinth of self-change to your goal. This revolutionary system has been translated into the step-by-step program explained in this book. In other words, you can reap the same benefits of our research that our patients have experienced—just by reading and following the advice offered in Changeology.

HOW CHANGEOLOGY DIFFERS FROM OTHER SELF-HELP

At this point you’re probably thinking, “He’s making awfully strong claims!” Or perhaps you’re silently protesting, “The usual oversold promises of self-help books.” Correct on both counts: These are strong claims, and most self-help books do guarantee unrealistic and unproven results. Decades of research validate the methods described in this book: that’s the crucial difference between Changeology and the morass of other self-help books. I deplore the insulting, antiscientific fare of most self-help books. In fact, that’s been a huge motivator for my career as a clinical psychologist, university professor, and researcher focused on studying behavior change. I have devoted decades of my life to determining what works and what doesn’t.

After investigating people’s attempts to realize their goals for 30 years, I have naturally compiled a list of pet peeves about self-help resources. They tend to fail in four ways: they are not based on research; they don’t provide specific, practical strategies; they focus on only one part of the solution; and they don’t tailor advice to the individual reader. Let’s consider each of these in turn with an eye toward how Changeology corrects them.

A staggering 95 percent plus of self-help books present no scientific research that they work as self-help, and some bestsellers even contain advice that is contradicted by available research. If FDA approval were required for the usefulness and safety of self-help books, fewer than 2 percent would be published. Flip through a popular diet book and look for research studies on how much weight loss was achieved for at least one year by people on that particular diet. You’ll find lots of testimonials and “amazing stories” but almost never any hard numbers based on controlled research. Authors’ boasts and client anecdotes don’t constitute, and should not replace, scientific research. Therein lies the first crucial difference between other self-help books and Changeology: the science.

But a self-help book that simply imparted the science would not prove helpful; it would be about as effective, as Sigmund Freud once observed, as offering a dinner menu to a starving person! Though I do have a tendency to use scientific terminology on occasion, and though I’ve written this book to appeal to the most science-averse reader, it will be useful for you to learn a few key terms as you come to appreciate the science behind the magic of self-change. But I will go further and translate that science into an abundance of specific, realistic strategies. I will lead you through the most powerful means of behavior change with armloads of examples and illustrations.

Another problem with most self-help books is their narrow focus on only one part of the change process. Imagine if someone promised to help you do your taxes but gave you advice on how to organize your receipts and nothing else. The rest of the process would remain frustrating and unfinished. Well, that aptly describes most self-help products: they feature a single part of that process: setting a goal, getting inspired, securing hugs, or learning a few behavioral strategies. But the reader winds up like the proverbial blind man with the elephant, his efforts incomplete and futile.

This book, on the other hand, encompasses the entire change process. I will patiently, supportively guide you through all 5 steps of a proven system that you can use to change on your own and customize to your own life.

In truth, this isn’t the first time that our scientific research and program have been published in a book for a general audience. In 1994, Drs. Jim Prochaska, Carlo DiClemente, and I published our popular Changing for Good. But a lot has happened since then, both in the scientific arena and in the world at large, which now operates at warp speed and sets individuals up for new challenges and behavioral problems. Hence, Changeology updates our cutting-edge research and expands its applications. I’ll be presenting a broader approach to achieving personal improvement and goals, as opposed to our earlier emphasis on eradicating bad habits. I’ll also be focusing primarily on the crucial first 90 days of the change process, which omits those people not yet ready to consider change.

THE POWER OF CONNECTION

Changeology personalizes your journey in two important ways: first, it guides you step by step and tells you exactly what to do and when to do it; and second, you’ll be able to maximize this book’s instructions with the help of an interactive website (www.ChangeologyBook.com) at no cost or obligation to you.

To receive personalized support online, visit www.ChangeologyBook.com. This will allow you to save your goals, track your progress, print out the worksheets in this book, and complete additional activities. Harness the power of the Web as you read this book and beyond. All of the exercises and activities at www.ChangeologyBook.com begin in this book.



The icon at the beginning of this paragraph, which shows 5 steps within a delta symbol (delta stands for “change”), appears throughout this book. Wherever you see it, you’ll know that an online application is available to you based on a suggested exercise. There you’ll have access to 12 free online activities that will assist you in executing many of the specific strategies suggested. The work you do online in conjunction with this book will help you tailor the program to your specific goals.

USING THIS BOOK EFFECTIVELY

As I’ve already noted, you can change virtually any voluntary behavior using the formula in this book. I will address the most popular behavioral goals and resolutions, such as enhancing relationships, losing weight, acquiring new skills, quitting smoking, starting an exercise regimen, improving your finances, boosting your self-esteem, and reducing your alcohol consumption, but this needn’t be an exclusive list. In other words, while the central points in the book address these goals, you are not limited to them. The research-proven methods of Changeology can be applied toward a vast array of personal goals. You may want to help others by delivering meals to the elderly or teaching children. You may be going through a time when accepting change is necessary to weather a major life challenge, such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, unemployment, or prolonged misfortune. As we’ll see in this book, following the Changeology program can help you make all kinds of changes.

To help you know what you should be doing and when, regardless of your particular goal, the Check Yourself sections will be your guide. I’ll also offer some general To Dos at the beginning of each detailed step that will give you a heads-up about what to expect. Obviously, I cannot detail the specifics to every type of possible change a person may want to make; you won’t find a daily menu plan for losing 20 pounds, for instance; you’re going to create that on your own using the tools I provide. The examples I showcase, however, will give you guidance on what you should be doing every step of the way.

You should prepare to follow the program for 90 days. Why? Because behavioral research indicates that it takes 90 days to prepare for change, build a new behavior, become confident in the face of high-risk triggers, and move past the likelihood of relapse. Brain research also suggests that it takes a few months of practicing a new behavior to create permanent change.

More than 75 percent of people maintain a goal for a week but then they gradually slip back into old behavior. However, research shows that almost all of the people who maintain a new behavior for three months make the change permanent; the probability of relapse after that period is modest. Our aim is to get you to your goal and keep you there; that will require a 90-day commitment on your part.

I encourage you to read Part I in its entirety before jumping into Part II. Otherwise, you may not grasp the big picture of what works when, and you may inadvertently squander the power of the research. I’m not trying to hold you back; rather, I’m helping you get psyched up and make realistic plans before you jump into action. Decades of research and experience suggest that people who prepare properly and have genuine self-confidence will be far more successful at maintaining their goals after 90 days.

It’s common to have at least five or six things that you want to change about yourself. I’ll show you how to deal with multiple goals at once. Bear in mind that for different goals you may be in different steps. For example, you might be in the first step for improving your finances but already in the second for losing weight. Reading the pages of this book in order will improve your chances of success for all of your goals, no matter where you’re starting from today. Of course, I exp...

Revue de presse :

"Self-help advice you haven't heard before...become more clever, more relaxed, more satisfied--and more realistic about how long it will take to make new habits stick." (Oprah.com)

"One of six books to build a dream on—pick for the year’s best guides." (Wall St. Journal)

"Norcross is the Billy Beane of personal-change gurus, using reams of psychological studies the way a sabermetrician uses baseball statistics. He'll be the first to tell you that this scientific approach beats magical thinking." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

"Dr. Norcross has revolutionized the psychology of change and now offers a remarkable five step program for more than 50 common complaints that plague many of us. You can learn to change your life today." (Mehmet Oz, MD Professor and Vice-chair of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Columbia)

"Change isn't easy but if there's anyone out there who can convert skeptics to believers, it's Norcross." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Changing a habit involves two things: knowing how to change and knowing what to change. This book, by a true master scientist of change, is the best book I know about the steps YOU can take to make and to sustain the changes YOU want to make.” (Mike Roizen, M.D. co-author of the bestselling YOU series)

"Stop smoking. Slim down. Exit that awful relationship. Not easy. A board-certified psychologist and Distinguished University Fellow at the University of Scranton, the author of more than 300 publications and the coauthor or editor of 22 professional books, Norcross has spent his career researching how people change their behavior and is here to tell you. He’s got a 90-day plan, backed by a free interactive website and entailing five steps. Hope springs eternal." (Library Journal)

“Finally, a self-help book based on solid scientific evidence by psychology’s smartest myth-buster. The science of change has finally arrived, and the you who starts this book won’t be the you who finishes it.” (Daniel Gilbert Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness)

“Changeology is a powerful tool for those seeking the happiness lasting change can bring. Science tells us that if you can change your behavior, you can increase your happiness. This simple, research-based plan will show you how to begin a new life free of old, bad habits and full of inner peace and well-being.” (Marci Shimoff author of Happy for No Reason)

"I have rarely read one [self-help book] that I truly felt could bring real, meaningful change into a person’s life. But despite my wariness of the self-help genre, I found John C. Norcross’s Changeology to be one such book . . . for most of the kinds of change that people are already trying to make, Changeology will prove to be a wonderful source of assistance. It has an easy-to-follow formula based on credible research—and even this wary mental health practitioner found it helpful." (Joseph Maldonado, MS, for PsychCentral.com)

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Simon & Schuster
• Date d'édition: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1451657617
• ISBN 13: 9781451657616
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 272