Overview

At some point in life, most people think about changing or improving some part of their life. For some people, it might be quitting smoking or drinking less. For others, it's eating better or getting more exercise. Only you know when you're ready.

Maybe you're fine with the way your life is going right now. Or maybe the timing is wrong, and you need to wait to plan for a change. Either way, there might be something here that interests you.

Don't change anything yet

This may not be the time to make a change in your life. Instead, maybe it can be a time to take a closer look at things.

Over the next 2 weeks, write down some basic facts about a behavior you might like to change. For example, some people look at how they eat, smoke, drink, or use a drug.

• Which days do you usually do this behavior?
• On each of those days, how much do you use, eat, drink, or otherwise do this behavior?
• Does this behavior cost you money each day? Each week? Each month?
• What other costs do you notice? For example, how much does this behavior affect your ability to be a good partner, parent, friend, or employee? Does it affect your health or how you feel?

Check in with yourself

Some people find it helpful to think about why they do the things they do. You can think of it as a moment to check in with yourself. Ask yourself:

• What do I like about smoking, drugs, drinking, or my current eating habits?
• What are the not-so-good things?
• Thinking back, when has my life been better? What was different then?
• Are others worried about my behavior? If so, why?
• If I were to quit or cut back, how would my life be different?
• What would I miss if I changed my behavior?
• What are some good things about cutting back or quitting—the things that I would look forward to?

Think about your answers. Did anything surprise you? How do you feel about your responses? You can use your answers to help you answer a final question:

• How will I know when it's time to make a change?