Pros and Cons of Changing

Have you ever wondered why you fail to make changes you know are good for you?

Have you ever tried to make a healthy change, only to fall short of your goal?

Often, the reason you may not achieve your goals is that you are not aware of the underlying forces at work around the consequences of changing your behavior. This self re-evaluation exercise will help you understand the reasons driving your behavior so that you can make a fully-conscious decision if you really want to change and what may be standing in your way.

For each decision you are contemplating, we are going to have you evaluate the Pros and Cons of change in the following categories:

• Consequences of the change to yourself
• Consequences of the change to others
• Your reactions as a result of the change
• Others reactions as a result of the change

Here’s how it works: for each change you are contemplating, you are going to develop a Pros and Cons list for these four areas. By doing this, you will become aware of the underlying forces at work driving you to change AND those that are working to keep you where you’re at.

Example – Behavior: Quitting Drinking Alcohol

Consequences of the change to yourself

Pros	Cons
Improved health	Loss of some friends
Increased happiness	Less time with extended family
More marital success	Loss of mood medication
More money	Have to find other things to do

Consequences of the change to others

Pros	Cons
Children can trust me	Some friends and family members will be threatened
Boss can count on me	Family will have to get used to dealing with my moods

Your reactions as a result of the change 

Pros	Cons
See self as determined	See self as less fun
See self as more responsible	See self as moodier
See self as not needing a crutch	See self as a stranger

Others reactions as a result of the change

Pros	Cons
Children will be proud of me	What will most my friends say?
Wife will be more supportive/loving

Often times, just creating this list will provide incredible insight into what may be holding you back or preventing you from making a change. It will also help you identify what is driving you to change or not to change and where that drive is coming from (i.e., whether it is generated from an internal desire or value or external forces).

Seeing all the Pros and Cons of changing will allow you to see any roadblocks that may be in your way so that you can actively address them. In addition, you can use this list in combination with your Values and Goals (see our worksheet on Identifying Your Values and Goals for more information) to determine if you really want to change and know exactly why. Remember, no matter if you choose to change or not, it is your choice. You are responsible for making decisions in your life and you are responsible for the consequences of those decisions, whether you like them or not. Others can influence you, but you are in charge of your life.

Get Started

Start by making a list of all the changes you would like to make in your life, especially those that have been difficult for you. Decide which ones you would like to start with and go through this exercise for each behavior. Use the insights you obtain to construct goals to help you address any potential roadblocks so you can make the changes you desire.

You can live the life you want, and it takes dedicated action and work. Living your life consciously eliminates excuses and puts you in control. Make it fun, and use these tools as you need them along your natural path to optimal health.