Stages of Change Worksheet: Find Your Stage and Name One Honest Next Step
Find where you are right now in the change process, from not yet thinking about it to keeping change going, and name one honest next step.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
About this tool
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. They noticed that change is not a single event but a process that moves through recognizable stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.
Knowing your stage matters because each one calls for a different kind of help. In precontemplation, you may not see a problem yet, so the useful work is gathering information, not forcing action. 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.
Most people move back and forth between stages, and slipping back is normal, not a sign of failure. Each time around, you usually come back with more insight. Naming your stage honestly takes the pressure off: it lets you choose a next step that actually fits where you are, which is far more likely to work than a step borrowed from a stage you are not in yet.
The model was not built from theory alone. Prochaska and DiClemente developed it by comparing people who quit smoking on their own with people going through formal treatment, and found the same sequence of stages in both groups. That is part of why the framework has since been applied well beyond addiction, to exercise, diet change, medication adherence, and other health behaviors: it describes a general pattern of how people change, not a single-problem method.
Moving between stages usually has a typical shape. Precontemplation to contemplation tends to open up with 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 to action goes more smoothly with a concrete plan and a set date, and action to maintenance depends on building the new behavior into daily routines so it stops requiring constant willpower.
This worksheet tells you where you stand today and what kind of next step fits that stage. 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. Psychology.com's therapist directory lets you search for one.
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.
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 14). 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 describe how behavior change usually unfolds.
Is it bad to be in an early stage?
Not at all. There is no wrong stage. Knowing where you genuinely are helps you pick a next step that fits, which works far better than forcing a step from a later stage.
What if I move backward?
That is normal and expected. Most people cycle through the stages more than once, and each time tends to bring more insight. Slipping back is part of the process, not a failure.
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?
It usually takes a small nudge that fits your current stage, not force. Moving out of contemplation often comes from talking it through with someone rather than being pushed. Moving from preparation to action goes more smoothly with a concrete plan and a start date. Trying to skip ahead to action before you are ready tends to backfire.
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. This worksheet works for any behavior you are trying to change, not only substance use.