More Lessons on Change

Pathways, woods, chemicals, routing…..aaaarghh!

What, you ask, has all this to do with changing your behavior (and thinking)?!

Well, I'll tell you what.

When we fail to recognize that our behavior starts within our brain, change is often short-lived, at best. So we must start addressing the need to change our thinking. The pathways, chemicals and emissions are involved in the processes that our brains use to turn a simple thought into action. Even subconscious thoughts, those thoughts we aren’t even aware of, are molded into action by chemicals in our brains moving from one location to another.

As I said in the last posting, we have carved out actual pathways in our brain from habitual behaviors. The more we perform an action or think similar thoughts, the deeper this pathway is being carved. The deeper the pathway, the easier (and faster) our brain chemicals will move from one section of the brain to another.

What does all this mean for you?

The faster the chemical transmission the faster, and the more subconscious, our thought-into-action process becomes. That thought-into-action process is what has become familiar to us in our habits.

So if you have behavior that you want to eliminate, here is what is required to get started on the road to permanency in change (Next post I will give you the remaining steps):

Steps to Permanent Change

Step 1: Know exactly what change you want to make.

Write it down (your goal statement)

State what you want to do, not what you want to stop doing. Be assertive, not passive. Instead of saying, “I want to eat less than I do now each day.”, say instead “I want to maintain a diet of 1,200 calories” or, if loosing weight is your goal, “I want to loose ten pounds by Thanksgiving.”

Write it down. Be specific about what you want to do and when you plan to have accomplished it. When we have a clear visual of your goal, you are more likely to reach it.

Step 2: Maximize your commitment to change.

Eliminate factors in your environment that directly support the habit. Ashtrays, the ‘sweets’ drawer, ditch the alcohol; whatever you want to change, eliminate temptations as much as you can.

Make a list of reasons why you want to change. Brainstorm. Leave NOTHING out, not matter how big or small. If loosing weight will help you get back into that g-string, then list it! If stopping smoking will open up your chances for a date with that little ‘hottie’ who doesn’t smoke, say it!

This is the time you should have as many reasons why you want to change, not when you have a weak moment. Do your homework now and I guarantee, IT WILL pay off down the road.

Step 3: Think about your thinking (and write it down)

Every action begins with a thought. EVERY… SINGLE… ACTION... begins with a thought. Attitudes and emotions also begin with a thought. Some may be harder to recognize at first (some have become so habitual that they have become subconscious or 'second-nature'; out of your normal awareness unless you work to recognize them).

Start recognizing the thoughts that prompt your undesirable behavior.

¨ Your Assignment this week:

For one week, carry a little note pad and pen with you. EVERY time you get the urge, or actually fall into your habitual behavior, write down the following:

o What were your exact thoughts just prior to engaging in the behavior, emotion or attitude that you want to change?

§ For example, I am trying to loose 10 pounds. Eating at my desk has become a bad habit. Just before I start to look for food, a few thoughts usually come to my mind:

· First, ‘This job is rather boring. I am getting bored.”

· Then “What is in my cupboard that I can munch on?”

Write down as many thoughts as you can think that occur just prior to your performing your habit.

They may not always be the exact same thoughts. That’s ok. Just write them down anyway. Do not censor them. Their raw form is important.

I’ll be back next week to give you the remainder of the Steps to Permanent Change.

(Feel free to list some of your thoughts in the comment box below. You might be surprised to see that others have similar experiences.)

Lessons From The Front 2

Change. It is never easy, whether voluntary or change that is forced upon us. We are indeed creatures of habit.

In the world of crime, nothing signifies this fact more than a victim of domestic violence who returns to their tormentor, knowing well that the next assault upon them could end their life. While there are many factors that play into why we return to obviously unhealthy, even dangerous, situations and behavior, much of the blame is on our brain.

To make this less of a neurophysiology lesson and more of a blog, let me give you a simple analogy.

Think of your brain as a heavily wooded forest. Each time that we think a thought, chemicals emit from one section of the brain and travel to another area, which then results in an action or some sort of internal response like an emotion. Consider that thought (chemical reaction) as representing you, walking a specific route through the forest (your brain). So each time you think a thought (chemical), you are essentially walking (routing) through your forest (brain). Now, like any forest, there is much thicket. Burrs, branches, logs, hills and other obstructions make the walk difficult at first. But if we take the same exact route each time we create a smoother path. Once a path is created, it takes us less time to go through that path (from thought to action) than it did when we initially took it. Are you with me still?

So what does this have to do with changing behavior?

Well, the forest analogy is really an analogy about how habits develop.

You see, each time we are in a similar situation (say, one where we get stressed) and think similar thoughts, like "I want to eat potato chips." our brain's chemicals are creating a pathway in our brain (from the originating 'thinking' area of our brain to the 'physical action' part). The more often we are in a similar situation and think similar thoughts, the faster and easier the process from thought to action becomes. Good habits and bad habits are both supported by these pathways in our brain.

For example, the first day on a new job you are likely pretty thoughtful in driving to and from your job. You are conscious of which turns to take and when. As you've worked at the location for some time, you probably are less conscious of the actual drive, step by step, thus, sometimes are "home before you know it". This is a habit. It's when the pathway in our brain has become so profound that we don't even notice the thoughts that initiated the process. We only become aware of the end result.

There are several keys to changing this behavior. Without each key element in place, long-term change is unlikely.

That's all for now. My next post will enlighten you a bit as to the keys for changing habitual behavior. For now... GO GIANTS!!!

Changing

In my next Lessons From The Front post, I will show you what it takes to make long-lasting changes in yourself and others. But while I am writing this I would like a little feedback from those of you who visit my blog. Please take a moment and respond to the questions I am posing:

1. What do you want to change?

2. What do you think it will take to make long-lasting changes?

Lessons From The Front 1

I began my career in the penal system working as a cognitive-behavioral counselor in a program intended as a "last chance" for A-D Class felons. The program was located in a minimum security prison. The program area itself was classified as a medium security setting, thus had a secure fence, barbed-wire and strict limitations to the offender's movement.

The offenders coming to our program had committed offenses ranging from murder and sexually predatory crimes to burglary and possession of illegal drugs. Most had already served a majority of their sentences inside the walls, obtained a release then failed to adhere to parole rules thus, were sent to us en lieu of a return to prison. A few, mostly younger offenders convicted of D class felonies, were serving probation (community supervision) and failed to adhere to their probation rules.

All felons entering our 90 day program had the same choice to make:
1. Successfully complete our program and return to living in the community (under supervision) or,
2. Fail to complete the program and go to prison.

This seemed a simple enough decision. Unfortunately, not all offenders entering the program completed it successfully. We were known to be highly successful in changing offender thought, attitude and behavioral patterns. With an extremely high success rate of over 58% (success being defined as first completing the program successfully and second, not committing another crime for at least two years following program completion.) we were viewed as a leader in national efforts in offender programs.

On the surface, a fifty-something percent success rate might not seem too promising unless you consider the facts involved:
1. We had 100% failure rated offenders entering the program (all had failed community supervision);
2. We had a dangerous mixture of offenders (sexually violent, white collar, blue collar, ages 17 to 66, drug offenders, gang members, first timers and life-long/repeat offenders) and had program materials/media that had to work with all of them at the same time;
3. Most treatment programs (including twelve-step-, faith- and cognitive-based programs) boast success rates of 7% to 28% at best.

As my first professional position, this exciting opportunity not only gave me the skills that I used to advance in my career, but it provided me with first-hand knowledge of how to evoke change in both myself and others.

For the next several blog entries I want to share with you specific tactics that you can use to promote change within yourself and others. You don't have to be a counselor or a trainer (or criminal, for that matter. LOL) to apply these change-management skills.

Whether it's you who needs to change, your child, your friend or your mate, I am sure the methods and information I have for you will be of help in your change goals. Whether the problem is overeating, overworking, stealing or drinking; if you want to reduce the conflicts you have with others or increase your savings account; whatever change you want in your life it all begins with how you think. And that is where we will begin. Thinking about your thinking.

So long until next time...