Step 9: Mobilizing Your Helpers

An old wise woman once asked how one would take an old refrigerator to the curb for disposal (those days) or recycling (these days). Most of us sensibly reply, “I would get a friend or a family member to help me move it.” The wise woman answers, “That’s right. A big project requires more than one person.”

So, too, with preventing relapse -- tis a big project that often requires more than one person. Now is the time to activate and mobilize your helpers. Or, if you prefer, your support system or change team.

Social support of your perseverance matters big time in the long run. The research consistently shows that how much support and help you receive from important folks in your life predicts success a month or two after taking action. Not in the short run, mind you: it seems that we can muddle through the first few weeks even among a disinterested or unsupportive crowd.

But in the long run, others’ help or support becomes crucial as they buffer our bumps along the rocky road of perseverance.