I am thinking today about the effort, dedication, and energy required for change. My job basically requires telling people to make changes – change a food choice, a thought, a routine, and job – and so on. With these recommendations comes a spectrum of reactions and receptivity – we all have our comfort zone, pace of action, levels of processing, and inner thoughts that help in making a decision. As a doctor who works with a vast array of patients – each with his or her own constitution, tendencies, etc. – the question becomes, “How do I best support each patient in his/her changes?”
In my own efforts to enable positive choices that create wellness, the goal becomes finding a way to reach each patient, meet him/her on a place of common ground, and create a treatment plan that is feasible. In this light I begin to ask the questions: Why do some change more easily than others? How can I better understand each patient in order to best deliver my prescriptions? What leads to long-lasting change – i.e. change that sticks rather than fades? Why do some people resist change so vehemently? Why do others bend and change each time the wind blows?
With the constant goal of becoming a better physician, I leave these questions for you to answer.
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