The most common use of the stages of change are for breaking unwanted habits and addictions, like smoking. In the pre-contemplation stage smokers are not thinking about changing their behavior at all. One reason this may be true is because they are discouraged about previous attempts at quitting. However, at some point these smokers begin to think about quitting, which is when they move on to the second stage, contemplation. During this stage smokers come to a realization about the consequences of smoking, or have another reason for wanting to quit. At this stage, most smokers plan on quitting within the next six months. The next stage is preparation, and in this stage smokers are getting ready to change their behavior. During the preparation
