http://www.amazon.com/Changing-Good-Revolutionary-Overcoming-Positively/dp/038072572X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235510684&sr=1-1

Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward (James O. Prochaska, John Norcross, Carlo DiClemente)

1. Pre-Contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Relapse ** (not sure I agree with this last item — of course when changing one may lapse from time to time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean relapse)

Here is a link to an overview of the stages: http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/physcian_ed/stages_change.html

I completely agree that rewards are so important. That is what I love about the list — you feel rewarded when you do something for yourself — a somewhat foreign concept!!

… Michelle, I love your list! Your blog is just incredible. It is filled with so much great information. I am very addicted and must catch up on reading all of the posts that I’ve missed prior to “meeting” you!!!

I also use a Feel Good List, and keep a running one as a permanent page on my blog. I go to it often when I need “me” time, or need to find a celebration. I’d love for you to peruse mine (http://is.gd/jl7p), but I encourage everyone to make their own personal one for what constitutes a celebration for THEM!

Great post, Carolyn (or clrsimple!)

this is such a wonderful post. i like how you take your analytical eye to the feelgood list. i created it because i was in the midst of personal crisis and needed to find creative solutions to my so-called problems. i never even really gave it much left-brain thought… never really sat down and thought about how or why i was making a list. i just needed one.

but now that you’ve got me thinking more analytically about it, i think that what works about a list geared towards feeling good is exactly what you highlight: making the list forces you to be thoughtful about what you really need in your life; using it allows you to feel a strong sense of accomplishment without thinking at all about chores done and errands completed and projects tackled.

i read a book once about change and about how it requires six steps (which i am trying to bring up from the deepest depths of my memory here but i can only think of four):

contemplation
planning / preparation
action
maintenance

this little list i made for myself when i was severely depressed after the birth of my first child wraps all of those four steps into one: i had to brainstorm “what do i really need in my life to feel content?”; i had to make the list; i had to start using it; i had to keep using it.

the book (i think it was by a man named prochaska and a second author i cannot remember) also emphasized reward, and for me that was the best thing about this list: seeing everything small i had accomplished (taking a shower!) was a strong reinforcing reward in itself. i didn’t need to buy myself a present as a reward because my personal satisfaction was reward in itself, and the list was helping me be nice to myself in small ways all the time instead of only when i had accomplished something.

whew. that was a long comment. anyway, thanks so much for helping me think this all through.

i hope you love your list.

julie