Category:Contemplation

Seriously considering change; seeking information about problem; evaluating pros and cons of change; ambivalent; not prepared to change yet.

Contemplators acknowledge that they have a problem and begin to think about solving it. Contemplators struggle to understand their problems, to see its causes, and wonder about possible solutions. Many contemplators have indefinite plans to take action within the next few months.

“You know your destination, and even how to get there, but you’re not ready to go.”

It is not uncommon for contemplators to tell themselves that some day they are going to change. When contemplators transition to the preparation stage of change, their thinking is clearly marked by two changes. First, they begin to think more about the future than the past.

The end of contemplation stage is a time of ANTICIPATION, ACTIVITY, ANXIETY, and EXCITEMENT. “I want to stop feeling so stuck!”

See also:

• The Battle of Generation: Ch. 11 - Making the Decision to Change.