Changing our personal behaviours isn’t an easy or fast process. In 1977 James Prochaska and Carlo Clemente developed a Transtheoretical Model of Change which shows the different stages we progress through: Pre-contemplation (we realise our behaviour may be problematic but we’re considering the impact of our actions; we’re not ready to do too much about it);  Preparation (we have the intention to do something about specific behaviours); Action (we deliberately take steps; we change old behaviours); Maintenance (we have our new behaviours embedded; we work to avoid slipping back to old behaviours); and Termination (we know we won’t revert back to old behaviours).

The researchers saw relapsing back into old behaviours wasn’t a stage in itself but more a return from action or maintenance mode to earlier stages. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transtheoretical_model

Personal change takes time. We may be in the different stages for different periods of time. We can’t be forced to change – it is entirely our choice to do so.