In the world of maths and science, almost every problem can be solved with a formula. Wouldn’t it be great if there is such a formula that can help us to achieve our goals?
It turns out that there is such a formula. It has been summarised by a research team led by Dr. John C. Norcross who is an expert on behaviour psychology. Over the last thirty years, they have helped thousands of people overcome behavioural issues to realise goals that involve lasting changes. Dr. Norcros has created a special term for this theory called “Changeology”. You can learn about it here.
Basically the formula consists of 5 Ps with each P representing a change step that one must go through in order to create a lasting change successfully. So the 5-Step formula is:
- Psyc — get ready/contemplation
- Prep — plan before leaping/preparation
- Perspire — take action/action
- Persevere — manage slips/maintenance
- Persist — maintain change/maintenance
Keys to 5P Formula Success
There are a few key findings about the formula, based on 39 studies involving 8238 participants. All these insights and findings have been proven to be critical in successful application of this formula for creating change in your goal journey.
The further along in the 5P steps, the more likely you’ll succeed
The studies demonstrate that the further along you are in the steps, the more likely you are to succeed. For example, if the goal is to lose weight, people in steps 4 or 5 are more likely to reach their weight loss goal, than people in steps 2 or 3. This should be obvious.
Each step doubles success rate
Another study shows that moving a smoker from step 1 to step 3 doubles the person’s chance of quitting smoking. So what this tells us is that, all we need to do is just follow the steps and focus more on moving from the current step to the next, rather than the end goal.
Step matching: complete tasks appropriate to the step
For instance, if you are already on a diet and losing weight toward a target number, you won’t need to consider the activities in the Psych and Prep steps; you’ll have already done that work, but now you need to focus your efforts on the Perspire step and then Persevere and Persist steps.
Otherwise, it may backfire and derail your effort. For example, if you are in the Perspire step, you keep asking yourself why you should or shouldn’t lose weight, which is really the work that should be done in the first step, then you may lose motivation and get off track.
Focus on goals farther along in the 5 steps
This one is really about taking advantage of the fact that the closer you are toward the end of the 5 steps, the more likely you will accomplish your goal. If you already have a few goals and want to focus more on just two or three of them, pick those goals where you are closer to the final steps. After you complete them, you can always go back to other goals.
Now think about your own goals and see which step you are at. Most important, come up with ways to move from the current step to the next.
