The action phase requires time, energy and money. This is the ideal time to join support groups or make new friends if old friends are not being helpful or supportive. It is not a good idea, for example, to keep going to your favorite bar and hanging with your friends there if you are trying to quit drinking. It is also not a good idea to keep a pack of cigarettes in your desk as a reminder of your old smoking habit. You are not strong enough yet to resist the temptations that will inevitably be there.
Maintenance is the next stage, and a difficult one.
This is where you are most susceptible to lapses and slips. The good news is that, if you slip, it s easier to go back into the action phase, since you already have a plan that worked for you before. Termination is the last stage. When the habit is something you have established that you no longer have to think about, you are successful. So dust off those resolutions and give this approach a try.