Everywhere you look, people want to know why they're unhappy. And they want to know what they can do about it. Have you ever asked yourself why intelligent people let bad habits keep them from living happier and healthier lives? I ask myself that question all the time. We live in a world where 30-second commercials offer instant solutions. We shouldn't be surprised when easy solutions don't work: There are no magic bullets, no quick fixes on the path to lasting change.

People are overwhelmed with options today. It's beginning to seem that the more solutions there are, the harder it is to find one that works. Programs that promise easy change fail because they gloss over the necessary stages that people have to go through on the path to lasting change. People who regain more weight than they lost by following the latest fad diet are victims of programs that ignore the need for a lifestyle change.

Many people have learned the hard way that lasting change is only possible when you have the right information. New Year's resolutions usually fail. They don't work because people jump into them without the right preparation. As I learned from my own experience, you can't be successful in the action stage if you haven't been successful in the preparation stage.