Stages of Change Worksheet: Find Your Stage and Name One Honest Next Step
The Stages of Change Worksheet helps you identify your readiness to change a specific behavior, understand what is holding you back, and choose a practical next step that fits your circumstances.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
About this tool
The Stages of Change Worksheet helps you describe your readiness to change a specific behavior and decide what support or action could help next. The stages are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance, ranging from little interest in change to keeping a change going. The stages of change, also called the transtheoretical model, were developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente after studying how people actually change behaviors like smoking and drinking. Their model describes change as a process with recognizable stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.
Knowing your stage can help you discuss which kind of support feels useful and what barriers need attention. In precontemplation, you may not see a problem yet, so gathering information can help you explore concerns and available support. In contemplation you feel the pull of both sides. In preparation you are getting ready and making a plan. In action you are actively changing, and in maintenance you are protecting the change you have made.
People can move back and forth between stages, and returning to an earlier stage does not erase previous effort. Reviewing what changed can reveal a missing resource, an unexpected trigger, or a plan that was too difficult to carry out. Naming your stage honestly can help you discuss a realistic next step. It does not prove that stage-matched advice will work better, and you can seek help or take a protective action before feeling completely ready.
The model was developed through research as well as clinical thinking. In Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change, Prochaska and DiClemente found that people changing their smoking habits emphasized different change processes at different stages. Those observations helped shape the framework, which has since been used across health behaviors. They do not establish that everyone changes in the same order or that a stage label can predict an individual outcome. A Cochrane review of smoking cessation interventions found that the extra benefit of matching support to a stage was uncertain. Use the model as a conversation aid while remaining open to practical support at any stage.
The stage descriptions can suggest questions to explore, with room for individual differences. Moving from precontemplation toward contemplation may involve new information or a consequence that is hard to ignore. Contemplation to preparation happens when the reasons for changing start to outweigh the reasons for staying the same, often helped by talking it through with someone rather than by argument. Preparation for action can include a concrete plan and a set date, and maintenance can involve building the new behavior into daily routines, reviewing barriers, and keeping support available.
This worksheet records your own view of where you stand and what kind of next step feels possible. It does not measure how motivated you are compared with anyone else, and a slip back to an earlier stage after answering it is not a failed result, it is simply where you are now. If you keep landing in the same stage for a long time, or the behavior involves substance use that feels out of your control, a therapist trained in motivational interviewing can help you work through what is keeping you stuck. The Psychology.com therapist directory lets you search for professional support.
Treat the importance and confidence ratings as separate reflections. You may care deeply about changing and still doubt that you can manage it. In that case, explore what would make the step more doable: transportation, a supportive person, a different schedule, or a smaller task. If confidence is high but importance is low, spend time on what you value and what concerns you about staying the same. SAMHSA's guidance on enhancing motivation distinguishes these needs; the ratings on this worksheet are not diagnostic scores or measures of your character.
Keep the finished worksheet specific enough to review. For example, someone considering change might choose to ask a clinician about options, while someone preparing to act might arrange an appointment and plan how to get there. Write what you intend to do and what help you need, then revisit the sheet after that action or a change in circumstances. If the stage feels ambiguous, describe the uncertainty in your own words instead of trying to force the best-looking answer.
The Decisional Balance Worksheet can help you explore mixed feelings, and the SMART Goals Worksheet can help make a chosen action concrete. For maintaining changes in substance use, the Relapse Prevention Plan Worksheet adds triggers, coping steps, and support contacts. Addiction Recovery Worksheets groups related exercises. The Drug Addiction Test offers screening for concerns to discuss with a professional; it does not determine readiness for change. If substance use feels unsafe or hard to control, professional assessment can begin while you are still weighing your options.
References
- Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC. The Transtheoretical Approach: Crossing Traditional Boundaries of Therapy. Dow Jones-Irwin; 1984.
- Prochaska JO, Norcross JC, DiClemente CC. Changing for Good. William Morrow; 1994.
- Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change. 3rd ed. Guilford Press; 2013.
- Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/psy_facpubs/572/
- Cahill, K., Lancaster, T., & Green, N. Stage-based interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD004492_are-stage-based-interventions-more-effective-non-stage-based-ones-helping-smokers-quit
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Chapter 5: From Contemplation to Preparation: Increasing Commitment. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571064/
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). Stages of Change Worksheet. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tools/stages-of-change
Stages of Change Worksheet FAQ
What are the stages of change?
Precontemplation (not yet thinking about it), contemplation (weighing it up), preparation (getting ready), action (actively changing), and maintenance (keeping it going). They offer a framework for describing readiness for a particular behavior. People can move between stages, and the label should help a conversation about support rather than serve as a fixed identity or diagnosis.
Is it bad to be in an early stage?
An early stage is a description of readiness, without a moral judgment. You may have concerns about changing, limited information, or practical barriers that deserve attention. Naming those honestly helps you discuss useful support. You can ask for professional advice or take a protective step even while you feel uncertain about a larger change.
What if I move backward?
Moving back can happen, and it does not erase what you learned or the effort you made. Look at what changed in your circumstances, support, or coping plan. Choose a manageable next action and ask for help where needed. A return to risky substance use deserves prompt attention, even if you describe yourself as being in an earlier stage.
Is my information saved?
No. Everything stays in your browser and nothing is uploaded. The PDF is created on your own device.
How do I move from one stage of change to the next?
Start by identifying what would make a useful next step possible. Moving out of contemplation often comes from talking it through with someone rather than being pushed. Moving from preparation to action can include a concrete plan and a start date. You can also accept help or act to reduce immediate risk while motivation is still developing.
Does the stages of change model only apply to addiction?
No. Prochaska and DiClemente built it from studying smoking cessation, but it has since been applied to exercise, diet, medication adherence, and many other health behaviors. You can use this worksheet to reflect on a specific habit beyond substance use. Its usefulness depends on the situation, and it cannot replace behavior-specific medical advice or treatment planning.